Harry Potter and the Mind Mage
by James Milamber
Summary: Post OotP, AU as of HBP. Harry comes to grips with the death of his Godfather, and Hogwarts gets yet another new DADA teacher. Just a typical year for the Boy Who Lived, really...or is it? HG and RHr
1. Privet Drive

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage 

By James Milamber

_Summary: Post OotP. Harry deals with the loss of his Godfather, with some help from a certain red head. Hogwarts gets a new DADA teacher who has more than a few secrets. And all the while, Voldemort watches from the shadows, awaiting the moment to strike…_

_A/N: I would just like to apologise for the pitiful quality of the first ten chapters or so. It does get better. Really. One day I'm going to re-write all these chapters...and hopefully take the cringe factor down slightly._

Dawn stained the horizon with an angry glow as a boy with messy black hair sat at his window and watched. It had become almost a ritual now, to greet the sun every morning. He wasn't exactly sure why he did it, or why he drew comfort from watching the glowing orb slide higher into the sky.

A dot appeared in the distance, quickly resolving into the form of Hedwig. Harry moved aside to allow the owl to swoop through the window, coming to perch on the end of his bed. He smiled sadly, stroking the soft feathers on her head as she hooted softly, nibbling at his fingers.

Harry removed the letter attached to his owl's leg, seeing it was from Ron, and settled onto the bed to read.

Harry,

Mum just got word back from Dumbledore. Sorry mate, but he reckons it'll be safer for you to stay with the Muggles for the rest of the summer. Should have seen Mum, she looked like she was going to yell at him when he said that.

Anyway, apparently we can't go to Grimmauld Place, either. Some of the old crowd had their houses attacked, so they're staying with Lupin. There must be a lot of them, because Mum said there wasn't enough room for us, and it's a big house.

Sorry that my news is bad, but maybe Dumbledore will let you visit after all, at least for your birthday. Write back soon!

Ron

Harry closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose, then sighed and flopped back onto the bed. Another month and a half with the Dursleys. Harry couldn't help but feel a flash of resentment toward Dumbledore, then guilt as he remembered their 'conversation' at the end of last year which resulted in the wholesale destruction of Dumbledore's office.

He resolutely stopped himself from thinking about the cause of that conversation.

The next week passed mostly without incident. Every other day since the start of the holidays Harry had received a large food hamper from Mrs. Weasley, along with a note reminding him to eat well, and telling him to write back if he needed more food.

He spent most of his time in his room brooding. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, who had evidently taken Mad-Eye Moody's parting warning to heart, were going out of their way to avoid him, and that suited him right down to the ground. He began taking long walks every evening, hoping to exhaust himself before nightfall; hoping to drive away the nightmares where he repeatedly saw Sirius falling through the veil. A part of him still refused to accept that his godfather was really dead, but deep down he knew the truth, and it constantly threatened to tear him apart. Sometimes he wanted to just start screaming and never stop, but knew he couldn't. The world was counting on him, and every time he began to feel overwhelmed with Sirius' death, he forced himself to imagine the first time he had walked into Diagon Alley. There had been so many happy faces, so many people just living their normal lives, without fear that they could suddenly be attacked and killed as they did their shopping. He couldn't fail these unnamed, faceless people. Their lives depended on him. It was a lot of responsibility to shoulder, but he grimly carried on.

He was sitting at his desk, idly leafing through his Charms textbook, when Pig rocketed through the open window, colliding with Harry's shoulder. With Seeker reflexes, he snatched the tiny owl from the air, being careful not to hurt him. As soon as Harry removed the letter Pig shot into the air again, twittering madly and flying in circles around the room. Hedwig watched for a moment, then resolutely turned her back.

Harry opened the parchment to see a letter from Ron, with even messier handwriting than usual. It looked like the letter was written in a hurry.

Harry,

There was an attack at the Burrow. Dumbledore's moving everyone. Mum and Dad are going to headquarters, but we can't all go, so the Twins are going to stay with Lee Jordan, I'm going to Hermione's, and Ginny's going to stay with you. Dad'll be there soon.

Ron

Harry stared at the parchment for a few seconds in consternation. Words repeatedly flashed before his mind's eye. _Ginny's going to stay with you. _He jumped from his chair and bolted downstairs, hoping the Dursleys wouldn't explode when he told them.

He found Aunt Petunia in the kitchen, washing the dishes from lunch. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were out.

'Aunt Petunia!' Harry gasped, out of breath.

'What is it this time?' she snapped, glaring at him.

'There's been an attack. One of my friend's houses,' Harry said quickly. 'She needs to stay here for a while.'

Aunt Petunia stared at him incredulously for a moment. She was about to say something when a large barn owl swept through the open kitchen window, dropped a letter bearing the Hogwart's seal into her hands, and left again.

Petunia opened the letter gingerly, as if she expected it to explode. She read the contents of the letter, and her eyes widened. Finally, she sighed.

'Very well then,' Petunia threw the letter into the trash. 'She can stay, so long as she understands the rules and doesn't mention that…abnormality while under this roof.'

'Thanks!' Harry raced back upstairs and was halfway through scribbling a note to Ron when the front doorbell chimed. Harry raced back out of his room yelling, 'I'll get it!'

He opened the front door to find Mr. Weasley and Ginny, both wearing Muggle clothes. Ginny was crying into her father's shoulder.

'Harry, good to see you,' Mr. Weasley said gravely, giving Ginny a small push in the back to start her moving. She stumbled a little as she entered the house, and Harry reached out to steady her.

'Hi Harry,' she said weakly, finally looking up. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her brilliant red hair was a mess. Suddenly she started sobbing again and Harry drew her into a hug. She clung to him, her face pressed into his shoulder as she cried.

'Charlie was the only one home. He's in St. Mungo's now, but they don't know if he'll make it.' Mr. Weasley said in a low voice as they climbed the stairs, made awkward because Ginny wouldn't let go of Harry. He solved the problem by simply picking her up. She tensed briefly, then relaxed as he carried her up the stairs.

Harry kicked his door open, strode over to his bed, and lay Ginny down. She curled up into a ball, still shaking slightly.

Mr. Weasley pulled a miniature trunk from his pocket and enlarged it, setting it on the ground near Harry's own. He looked around the room curiously, but his eyes were strangely dead. He pointed his wand at the bed and muttered a duplication charm, and another bed appeared beside the original.

'I have to go,' he said finally to Harry. 'All the order members are meeting at headquarters.' He sighed and passed one hand over his eyes, looking older than Harry had ever seen him. He looked like he was going to speak, but then sighed and Disapparated with a sharp crack.

Harry looked down at the girl sobbing on his bed, unsure what he should do. True, he and Ginny had become friends during last year, but not to the same level as he, Ron and Hermione. He wasn't entirely sure if she would welcome any attempt at comforting.

Finally deciding to be brave, he sat on the bed beside her. 'Ginny?' he said gently, placing one hand on her shoulder.

Ginny looked up at him, biting her bottom lip. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

Without thinking, he drew her into another hug. She shook slightly in his arms, and he patted her back awkwardly. They sat there in silence for some time until the door was thrown open.

'Boy!' Uncle Vernon filled the doorway, his face livid. He pointed one beefy hand at Ginny, looking disdainfully at her slightly threadbare clothes. 'She is not staying here,' he growled.

Harry stood defiantly. 'She has no where else to go,' he said in a deadly quiet voice, silently amazed at himself for standing up to his uncle in this way. 'Her house was destroyed, her brother is in St. Mungo's, and her parents are fighting _in a war!_' The last few words were yelled so loud that Vernon glanced at the window as if expecting to see someone there peering in, listening to their conversation.

Vernon's face was alternating between dark red and a shade of purple. Finally he said, 'What is this gibberish?'

'What gibberish was that?' Harry asked coldly.

'This…St. Mangoes place.'

'St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries,' Harry said shortly. 'It's a wizard hospital.'

Vernon's face was, by now, the colour of a ripe beetroot.

'DO NOT MENTION YOUR ABNORMALITY IN THIS HOUSE!' he roared, backhanding Harry across the mouth. Hedwig hooted in indignation, rattling the bars of her cage as Harry crashed into the desk and sprawled on the floor. Something rolled from the desk and landed in his lap. He looked down in a daze to see his wand.

'Leave him alone,' Ginny said in a shaky voice. She stood, facing Vernon bravely as his face turned even darker.

'HOW DARE YOU!' he screamed, lifting his hand to hit her.

Suddenly Harry was on his feet, wand in hand. 'Touch her and you will not live to see another day, Vernon Dursley,' he said in a deadly voice. Vernon froze; his hand ready to hit Ginny, as his eyes darted to the wand held rock steady in Harry's hand. Harry could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

'You can't do anything during the holidays,' Vernon said finally, lowering his hand.

'Wrong,' Harry said, still in that chilling quiet voice. 'I _can_ do anything, and I will. Sure I'll go to Azkaban, but it would be worth it.'

Vernon looked from the wand to Harry's emerald eyes, and apparently didn't like what he saw. His eye twitched, and then he turned and stormed from the room. 'Don't expect us to feed her!' he yelled as he slammed the door.

'I wasn't,' Harry muttered to himself, then turned to Ginny, who was watching him through eyes still red from crying.

'Thank you,' she said finally, her eyes downcast.

'That's alright,' Harry sighed, passing a hand over his eyes in an unconscious duplication of Mr. Weasley. 'My uncle is a fat git. My aunt isn't quite so bad.'

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Pig, whom Harry had completely forgotten about, broke the tension by launching from his place atop Harry's cupboard and circling Ginny's head, twittering madly. Ginny giggled, a sad sound that made Harry's stomach do a strange sort of back flip.

'Hi Pigwidgeon,' Ginny said, raising her hand with one finger outstretched. The tiny owl came to rest on her finger, still hooting in excitement. He nibbled her finger before shooting into the air again, unable to contain himself.

'Well,' Harry said gloomily as he settled into the desk chair again, 'welcome to my world.'

Ginny looked around and suddenly blushed, realising they were expected to share the room.

'Harry?' He looked up. 'Is there somewhere I can, you know, change?' They both blushed furiously, neither looking the other in the eye. 'I didn't get much sleep last night,' she finished lamely.

'Third door on the right,' he said, quickly burying his face in a book to hide his embarrassment, not noticing that he was holding said book upside down.

'Thank you,' Ginny said, her face now a similar colour to her hair, as she drew some nightclothes from her trunk and dashed out of the room into the hall.

Harry groaned and let his head hit the table with a solid _thunk_.

A/N: As always, please review and tell me what you think. If you couldn't figure it out, this fic is strictly H/G and R/Hr. If you don't like these pairings (or are bored to death with them), then know that this story is NOT a romance, and the amount of fluff will be minimal. There is a storyline, and that takes precedence.


	2. Dreams and a New Face

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: I logged on to the internet the morning after I posted this story, and found in twelve hours I had FIVE reviews. So I pushed this chapter out and I'll post it as a massive thank you to those who thought my story was worth their time to review.

_The room was dark, lit only by two torches, one on either side of a huge stone throne. A massive snake stirred restlessly on the flagstones nearby, her mottled coils giving off a dry hiss as they rubbed together. Other than the throne, the room was void of furniture or decoration._

Seated on the throne, his head held high and his expression one of cold disdain, was Voldemort. Arrayed in a loose semi circle around him were four Death Eaters.

Voldemort surveyed the Death Eaters as they stood silently before him. Finally he spoke, his emotionless voice almost perfectly matching the hiss of a snake.

'Where is he?'

The Death Eaters glanced at one another, their eyes diluted with fear behind their stark white masks. Finally one said, 'My Lord, he has joined with Dumbledore.'

Voldemort hissed, and the Death Eaters flinched as he brought his arm sharply down on the arm of the throne.

'You have failed me yet again,' he said in a deceptively quiet tone. The Death Eater let out a small whimper as Voldemort raised his wand.

'Crucio.'

The Death Eater screamed, falling to the floor and writhing with agony. Voldemort raised his wand after a short time and stood, his face a cold mask of fury.

'It would appear that if I want this done right, then I shall have to do it myself.' He stepped over the Death Eater now panting on the floor and made his way from the room, followed by the other three Death Eaters.

Across the country, Harry Potter awoke with a scream.

Harry sat up in bed, his hands pressed to his scar, which was burning in agony. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to bite back another scream when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

'Harry?' Ginny asked uncertainly, sitting on the edge of his bed. Harry flinched back from her brief touch, doubling over and rocking back and forth. Undeterred, Ginny began to rub his back, whispering soothing words into his ear. Gradually the pain subsided and Harry opened his eyes to stare into Ginny's brown ones, filled with concern.

'Nightmare?' Ginny asked quietly, shifting away from him a little. Harry was almost disappointed when she removed her hand from his back, although he couldn't quite pinpoint why.

'Not quite,' Harry looked down. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating his hand and Ginny's legs where they rested on the bed. When he met Ginny's gaze again, she hadn't moved.

Harry steeled himself. He knew he had to tell his friends about the Prophecy sooner or later, he had just thought it would be the later, rather than the sooner. But they had a right to know what they were in for if they continued to be his friends.

He briefly toyed with the notion of distancing himself from his friends to protect them, but quickly discarded the idea. Both Ron and Hermione were far too stubborn to let him get away with something like that, so the least he could do was warn them what to expect.

He briefly wondered who he should tell. Ron and Hermione, of course, and Ginny, Neville and Luna deserved to know what they had risked their lives for in the Department of Mysteries, too.

'Hey! Earth to Harry?'

Harry blushed, realising he had been silent for over a minute and Ginny was still waiting. 'Sorry,' he said, his eyes on his bed spread. 'Just thinking.'

'Well, I could see that,' Ginny said with a smile as her cheeks turned pink.

Harry nodded to himself, then sighed. 'Alright, I'll start from the beginning.'

And so he started talking. He told her of the Prophecy, he told her of his latest dream and his fears that he would be incapable of the task ahead of him. Once he began, it was as if the floodgates had opened. He eventually found himself talking about Sirius, how he had offered Harry a home when his name was cleared, and how Harry had spent most of his fourth year waiting for the all too infrequent letters from his Godfather. The memories hurt, but they seemed to loose some of their bite when he was sharing them with someone else. He knew he could always talk to Ron or Hermione, but they were a little too close to him. It was nice to have a friend to talk to that could be a little more objective.

Throughout his rambling dissertation, Ginny's expression ranged from shock, to horror, to thoughtfulness. Finally, nearly an hour later, when Harry had talked himself out and the sun had slipped high into the sky, she slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

'Oh Harry,' she sighed as he blinked in surprise, before his arms tentatively went around her. 'It all seems to happen to you, doesn't it? It doesn't seem fair that you're always the one people expect to do the really nasty jobs.'

Harry laughed hollowly. 'Yeah, that's me. "Boy-Who-Lived, roving hero". Bring me your problems, and I'll solve them for you.'

'Oh Harry, don't say that,' Ginny said, pulling away from him. She looked thoughtful. 'Still, you've survived against him so many times, there's no reason you can't do it again.'

Harry sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. 'Yeah, well, one day I'm going to run out of luck, and Voldemort will kill me.'

'You don't know that,' Ginny said calmly. 'You heard the Prophecy, "the Dark Lord will mark him as equal". Obviously you're a threat, or Voldemort wouldn't have attacked you, would he?' He made to reply, but Ginny pressed one finger to his lips, her blush becoming even more pronounced. 'Don't answer, just think about it.'

She stood quickly, her face flaming now almost the same colour as her hair. She gathered up some clothes and quickly left the room. Harry stared after her for a few moments, lot in thought, then quickly climbed out of bed and dressed. He was buttoning up his shirt when she returned, and as he looked up he caught her staring at him. He was about to ask her what was wrong when the doorbell rang.

'I'll get it!' Harry shouted, brushing past Ginny and out into the hall.

He opened the door to find an unfamiliar young man standing there, about twenty five years of age. He was tall, much taller than Harry, who wasn't exactly short. He wore Muggle clothes, and seemed very much at ease in the jeans and loose shirt. He smiled, a quirky smile that made Harry feel immediately at ease.

'Harry Potter, I presume?' he asked, extending his hand which Harry grasped. 'Name's James Milton. Can I come in?'

Harry was immediately on his guard. He cursed himself for being lulled by the stranger's easy manner. 'Who sent you?'

James laughed, his eyes twinkling. There was something strange about them, but Harry couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

'Dumbledore, of course,' James answered his question, taking a step back and pointing to a spot about twenty feet from the front door. 'I couldn't have crossed that line without Dumbledore's express permission.'

This was news to Harry, but he was still wary. 'Yeah, well Dumbledore trust's Snape, too.'

James chuckled. 'Fair enough,' he said in good humour. 'Alright, devise a test for me then.'

Harry thought a moment. 'At the place, there's a large animal. What's it's name?'

James raised an eyebrow. 'Now that's cryptic,' he remarked, 'but I'm assuming you mean Buckbeak.'

'Potter!' A voice came from nearby, and Mad-Eye Moody's face suddenly appeared out of thin air. 'Will you let him in, already?'

'Thanks Alastor,' James said as Harry opened the door wider to allow James in. Moody grunted and disappeared under his invisibility cloak again.

'Sorry about that,' Harry said, quickly checking the lounge room and kitchen for signs of the Dursleys and, finding none, he led James up the stairs.

'Perfectly all right,' James assured him. 'In these troubled times, a bit of caution might just keep you alive.'

They entered Harry's room, and he quickly shut the door as he heard heavy footsteps in the hall. 'Brace yourself,' Harry muttered to James, who smiled tightly in reply.

The door crashed open, and again Vernon stood looking into the room. Harry noticed Ginny flinch, and he felt a surge of hot anger towards his uncle.

'Who the ruddy hell are you?' Vernon demanded, looking James up and down contemptuously. 'Another freak, I suppose?'

James' eyes flashed, but his reply was calm. 'I am James Milton,' he said, 'come to check on Harry and Ginny, that is all.'

'Vernon? Who was at the door?' Petunia appeared in the doorway behind her husband. She frowned at James, but refrained from commenting.

'Just another…one of them,' Vernon said through clenched teeth, before turning and storming down the stairs, shaking the house with every step. Petunia followed, and Harry quickly shut the door.

'Sorry about that,' he apologised, flopping down on his bed.

James shook his head. 'It's alright, Harry,' he said. 'The Muggles aren't your fault.'

Ginny looked hopefully at James. 'Do you…' she trailed off, unable to put her question into words.

'Your brother should be fine,' James assured her, and she let out a long sigh of relief. 'They'll be keeping him in St. Mungo's for a while, though. He's pretty badly messed up. Your mother's there with him now.'

His face turned serious. 'Now,' he said crisply, 'Dumbledore has agreed to let you and your friends come back to Hogwarts early this year, but not yet. Most of the teachers are away, and Dumbledore wants at least most of them to be back at the castle before any students arrive. It'll probably be sometime in mid-August, and I'll be back then to pick you up, along with every Order member we can spare.'

Harry nodded slowly. While this meant less time with the Dursleys, it still meant another few weeks at least.

'Don't look so glum!' James said lightly. 'It's not as bad as it sounds. An Order member will be around every other day to check up on you, and Molly said she'll keep sending food if you need it.' Harry nodded quickly. 'Okay, I'll tell her. I'm sure she'll be pleased to be doing her bit to save you from those Muggles.'

'Thank you,' Harry said quietly.

James waved the thanks aside. 'No need to thank me. Just doing my part to help.' He grimaced slightly, then continued. 'Alright, I've got to get going. I'll see you both in a few weeks, alright?'

He waved, a lopsided grin on his face, and Disapparated with a sharp crack.

__

A/N: Brownie points to whoever can tell me why Ginny and not Ron was sent to Harry's.

And before you ask, you can Disapparate from inside Privet Drive, but not Apparate into it.

All comments welcome (this chapter seemed a little stilted to me, but I couldn't really think of any way to make it better.)


	3. Conversations and a Birthday

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

__

A/N: Okay, I was wrong. Plot is taking a backseat to Harry/Ginny at the moment, but I can assure you that won't last. It'll definitely remain, but it will fade into the background a bit when they get back to Hogwarts.

The summer seemed to pass with almost agonising slowness. As James had said, every second day an Order member appeared at the front door to check on the two teens. Some, like Mad-Eye Moody, were only good for a quick hello, while the visits from Lupin and Tonks lasted much longer.

Having Ginny around was not as awkward as Harry had first thought. After the first few nights, she accompanied him on his evening walks, and they talked. Harry found it easier to talk about the Wizarding world away from Privet Drive, when there was no chance of setting Uncle Vernon off. The Order seemed to be going out of its way to keep Harry informed about Voldemort's movements, a welcome change to the excessive secrecy of the last year. Ron and Hermione were sending letters by the dozen, and Harry had to laugh when Ron threatened him with the entire range of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes if he did anything 'inappropriate' (he had a feeling that was Hermione's word, as he could see the remains of something much nastier scratched out underneath) with his sister.

Harry would almost go so far as to say that this was his best summer ever. He had someone to talk to about school, Quidditch, Voldemort, and everything else he usually missed over the holidays. Nevertheless, late at night after Ginny had dropped off to sleep, his thoughts would inevitably turn to his Godfather, and he would lay awake for hours on end, brooding.

He also began to wonder why they had sent Ginny to Privet Drive and not Ron. He immediately rejected the notion that they were being forced together; that was just too embarrassing to contemplate. The best he could come up with was that it might have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets incident in Harry's second year, although he couldn't be sure.

On the evening before Harry's sixteenth birthday, he and Ginny sat on their respective beds eating from a hamper of food that had just arrived from Grimmauld Place. They were talking quietly, and somehow the conversation moved to Ron and Hermione.

'I wonder if they'll get together this year,' Ginny mused. Harry promptly choked on a pumpkin pasty and Ginny laughed, reaching over to pound him on the back.

'Thanks,' he muttered, taking a long drink of pumpkin juice from a canteen. A thought occurred to him, and he asked, 'Have you got any letters from Dean this summer?' Ginny looked at him strangely, and he flushed. 'You know, on the train home you said you were going out with him?'

Ginny giggled. 'No silly, I only said that to get Ron riled up. Dean's nice and all, but…' She trailed off, then giggled again.

'Oh.' For a reason he couldn't quite place, that made Harry feel better.

'What about you?' Ginny asked shyly, partially hidden behind her hair, which was loosely framing her face.

Harry sighed pensively. 'I doubt I'll get back together with Cho,' he said, idly picking at a bit of fluff on his blanket. 'I mean, she's nice and all, but with the whole Cedric thing…' he trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into words, so just settled for a shrug.

'I can see how that might make things difficult,' Ginny agreed.

'Doomed from the start,' Harry said wryly. 'You should have seen us on Valentine's Day, it was a disaster.' Ginny looked at him quizzically. 'We went to Madam Puddifoot's,' Harry began. 'I really had no clue what I was doing, and there were these bloody cherubs,' he mimed throwing confetti into the air, and made a face. 'It didn't help that Roger Davies and his girlfriend were sitting at the next table trying to snog each other senseless.'

As Harry told the story of his disastrous date with Cho, Ginny couldn't help but feel a little envious of the older girl. As much as she tried to convince herself that she was over her crush on Harry, even she knew that she was lying through her teeth. She also knew, however, that Harry didn't see her that way. To him, she was "Ron's little sister", which made any relationship near impossible. So she was content to be his friend and stand by him, even if at times she wanted more.

Harry finished his story, and Ginny forced herself back into the present. 'Yeah, well, no offence Harry, but you two really weren't very well suited to each other,' she said.

Harry sighed pensively. She noted that he did that a lot these days. 'Yeah, I suppose you're right,' he agreed.

And he smiled his tired, crooked smile, and her heart told her quite plainly that friend or not, she was not happy with their current arrangements.

========

July 31 dawned bright and warm. Harry awoke early to find his windowsill lined with owls. Yet more sat on his desk, and Hedwig perched on the end of his bed. There were about twenty in all, and Ginny was making her way around the room removing packages and shooing the relieved owls out the open window.

Finally, only Hedwig, Pig and an owl Harry recognised as Hermes were left, and there was a large pile of presents on the end of his bed. He stared at it in wonder.

'There are a lot of people who care about you, you know,' Ginny said softly, instinctively realising the cause of Harry's surprise. He smiled gratefully at her, then eagerly dove at the presents.

First was a heavy parcel from Hermione. Predictably, she had bought him a book, entitled "_Evil Incarnate: The Greatest Dark Wizards Of All Time"_. An enclosed note told him that Dumbledore had recommended the book to her at the end of the last year, and went on to list page numbers of all the references to Voldemort. Harry smiled, wondering just exactly how Hermione had ended up in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. A parcel from Ron (Harry had to wonder how Pig had managed to carry both presents, as they were quite heavy) contained an extensive selection of Honeydukes sweets.

Fred and George had sent him a bright orange backpack, filled to bursting point with their latest range of pranks. A lime green card on top with the words "WWW Shareholder" written in silver entitled him, according to the twin's letter, to get anything from their shop for half price.

'I'd be careful with that,' Ginny warned as Harry made to drop the bag off the bed. 'Never know what could be in there, knowing Fred and George.' Harry thought a moment then nodded, gently placing the bag on the floor.

'Good thinking,' he said, picking up another parcel, this one from Remus Lupin. Inside was a scarlet baseball cap with "_Prongs Jr_." emblazoned across it in gold letters. Harry swallowed hard, glancing over the accompanying note.

__

Harry,

Your father had this made for you after you were born. I thought you might like to have it now.

Don't think badly of James just because of one incident, Harry. Your father was everything Snape was not, and he never lost an opportunity to cause trouble for the Marauders. Much like you and young Mister Malfoy, neither could leave the other alone. You might think about that the next time Draco tries to get a rise out of you.

Moony.

The words, "_neither could leave the other alone_" struck a chord deep within Harry. Perhaps it was their similarity to a line of the Prophecy, but he couldn't help shiver at Lupin's probably inadvertent choice of words.

'What does he say?' Ginny asked curiously. Harry handed her the note, and he could tell by the way her eyes narrowed that she hadn't missed the similarity either. She didn't comment, however. Instead, she looked up with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and said, 'Are you going to put it on or not?' Harry shrugged, placing the cap on his head where it magically tightened to fit.

Ginny suddenly stifled a laugh. Harry watched her in puzzlement, until she pointed at the mirror hanging on his wall. He turned to see that the text on the cap had changed. It now read, "_Brush your hair, Potter!_" Harry laughed, pulling the cap off and trying to get his hair to stop sticking up. He replaced the cap, and the text changed again to, "_That's not much better!_" Harry laughed again and, having an idea, tapped the cap with his wand. The text changed back to "_Prongs Jr._"

'Thanks Dad,' Harry whispered, quickly wiping a tear from his eye before Ginny could see. He carefully assumed a bright smile and moved to the next package.

Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody had sent him a book entitled "_Auror Training: A Practical Guide_". The included note from Tonks told him that "a little cat told us you wanted to be an Auror", and they thought this book might help.

Most of the rest were from DA members, and most contained assorted sweets. Neville sent him a hand held Foe Glass, and Luna sent a postcard from Sweden where, she assured him, she and her father were hot on the trail of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Holding the Foe-Glass from Neville, Harry remembered with a jolt that today was also Neville's birthday. When he pointed this out to Ginny, her eyes narrowed.

'Wait a minute,' she said slowly. 'If today is Neville's birthday too, and you're both the same age…' She left it hanging.

'The Prophecy could have meant either one of us,' Harry confirmed, absently rubbing his scar. 'Both our parents had defied him three times in different ways, too, and his parents were Order members like mine. Obviously, Voldemort thought I was the bigger threat.'

Ginny looked at him uncertainly. 'Harry…'

'It's alright,' he said quietly, his eyes downcast. 'I'm going to tell him when we go back to school.' He grimaced. 'After what you all did for me at the Department of Mysteries, it's the least I can do.'

Ginny sighed, rubbing her eyes. 'Harry, none of us went with you in the hopes of being rewarded, you know.' He looked up sharply. 'We went because we're your friends. Even Luna,' she said with a wry smile. 'I can't speak for the others, but if you ever need me, all you have to do is ask. You don't have to shoulder this burden on your own. In fact, if you try,' her eyes suddenly twinkled, 'I'll sic Fred and George on you for being a git.'

He laughed and threw his pillow at her.

She caught it easily and sent it back. 'Seriously though,' she said, 'Don't try to do everything by yourself. I'm sure Ron and Hermione feel the same way. We all want to help in any way we can.'

Harry lowered his gaze, unable to look at her any longer. Her large brown eyes were filled with compassion, and he suddenly felt himself unworthy of such friends.

'Thank you,' he said finally, looking up again and catching her gaze. As he held it, she began to blush, but her gaze didn't waver. The corners of Harry's mouth tilted up into a smile as she suddenly looked away, blushing scarlet. Her hair caught the sunlight streaming through the window, causing it to take fire, and Harry found himself mesmerised by its shifting colour. He coughed nervously, looking away quickly and noticing a letter that had been under all the other presents.

'That's from Percy,' Ginny said, her face still bright red. 'I didn't know if you'd want to read it or not.'

Harry nodded slowly, carefully breaking the Ministry seal on the envelope. A folded piece of parchment fell out, and Harry opened it to find a letter written in Percy's neat handwriting.

__

Harry,

First, let me say that I am sincerely sorry for not believing you about the return of You-Know-Who. I realise now that I was wrong about you, and I regret ever speaking out against you. I know that it will take a long time for my family to forgive me, especially Ron and Ginny, but I hope you can find it in your heart to not hold my past mistakes against me.

Let me also assure you that I am doing all I can to help the Order now, starting with preparing statements to appear in the Daily Prophet_ about Death Eater activity. The Ministry is doing all within it's power to prepare the Wizarding community for the coming war, and the Aurors are out in force, patrolling public places such as Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. We are doing all we can to ensure the safety of everyone, be they magical or Muggle. I can't give you too many details, in case this letter is intercepted._

I hope you can forgive me for acting like a prat for so long. I am truly sorry.

Percy.

Harry re-read the letter, feeling a weight he had not even known existed rise from his shoulders. He had felt guilty about causing a rift in the Weasley family, but it looked like that rift was finally on the way to mending.

__

A/N: As always, any comments are welcome.


	4. The Gift Of Life

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage 

By James Milamber

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A/N: I have no idea how it happened, but somehow I've managed to write a story that has almost nothing to do with what I had planned. Stupid muses.

For the purposes of this story, I'm making Ginny's specialty Transfiguration. You'll see why that's important in a minute.

As evening approached, Ginny seemed to grow increasingly nervous. They had spent the day in Harry's bedroom, avoiding the Dursleys. More and more often, Harry would catch Ginny glancing out the window, as if waiting for something to arrive.

Finally, as they were sharing a meal from yet another Weasley hamper, an owl swooped through the window bearing a small black box, which it deposited in Ginny's lap. She sighed in relief, taking the attached letter and reading through it quickly before nodding to herself.

'What is it?' Harry asked, looking up from his Charms homework.

'Your birthday present, of course,' Ginny said with a nervous smile. She held out the black box, and Harry took it curiously. He opened it to find a silver medallion on a chain. The sword of Godric Gryffindor was depicted point down through the centre, and surrounding the hilt was a ruby encrusted crown. Encircling the outside was a snake biting it's own tail, the eternal symbol of renewal and rebirth.

'Professor McGonagall showed me how to transfigure it last term,' Ginny said, her voice betraying her nervousness. 'I had to get Professor Dumbledore to enchant it, though. I wasn't strong enough. It should protect you.'

'It's beautiful, Gin,' Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a half hug, his eyes still on the medallion glittering in his hand. Consequently, he missed the look of relief mixed with pure pleasure that crossed Ginny's face.

'I realised at the end of last year that I never thanked you for saving me in the Chamber,' Ginny said quietly, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she started to shake. Harry noticed and squeezed her shoulder.

'There's nothing to thank me for,' he said lightly, smiling ruefully. 'Ron would have killed me if I'd let anything happen to you.'

His eyes went back to the amulet, and in doing so he missed the look of anguish that crossed her face.

========

Late that night, Harry lay awake in the cool darkness of his room, staring at the ceiling as his thought lingered on Sirius. He had been told countless times that what happened in the Department of Mysteries was not his fault, but that didn't stop him feeling a twinge of guilt as he thought about the consequences of their little adventure. True, they had proved beyond a doubt that Voldemort was back, but Ron and Hermione had ended up in the hospital wing for weeks afterward, and Sirius…

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of muffled sobs. It took a moment for him to remember that Ginny was in the same room, and she was undoubtedly the source of the quiet sounds. He listened for a moment and was about to ask her what was wrong when there was a loud crash from downstairs.

Harry quickly rolled out of bed, grabbing his wand from the desk. Ginny sat up slowly, her own wand clutched tightly in her shaking hands. Harry was glad that the moonlight was too dim for either to see much; it spared them both from a potentially embarrassing moment.

Harry placed a finger to his lips, and Ginny nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She climbed out of bed and crossed the room on silent feet to Harry's desk, crouching behind it out of sight. Harry slipped into the small space between the door and wardrobe, and they waited.

It was only a minute or so later when the door handle slowly turned, and a shadowy figure in sweeping black robes slipped through the door. Harry was on him in an instant.

'_Stupefy!_'

The figure crumpled as two Stunners took him, one from the back and one from the front. Ginny had leapt from cover, and now stood panting in the middle of the room, her wand rock steady as she kept it on the downed Death Eater.

'_Expelliarmus!_'

Ginny's wand flew from her hands, and before he could do anything, Harry's followed.

A second Death Eater, who had obviously been hiding in the hall, stepped over the body of their fallen comrade. Harry felt a chill pass over him as they removed their mask.

'So,' Bellatrix Lestrange breathed, her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. 'We meet again, Potter.'

Harry's mind went blank; flames appeared before his eyes. This was the woman who had killed Sirius…killed him and then laughed about it…

With an enraged roar, Harry leapt at Bellatrix, but with surprising strength, she sent him flying into the corner where he slumped in a daze.

'Don't move,' Bellatrix said to Ginny as she gave a little cry and took a step towards Harry. The Death Eater's wand was pointed at the youngest Weasley, but she was looking at Harry.

'Poor little baby Potter,' Bellatrix taunted. 'Didn't even realise as the Dark Lord slowly peeled away the protections of this dump.' Her sneering gaze took in the room, then came back to rest on Harry. 'And now, he's going to die. What a shame.'

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes as she moved her wand to point at Harry. 'Pity you couldn't choose your sides more carefully, Potter,' she said. 'But now, I shall be rewarded most richly by the Dark Lord for being the one to finally end your miserable life.'

Harry's eyes caught Ginny's as Bellatrix's attention remained on him. She was inching to the left, her foot outstretched, and Harry realised that she was going for the fallen Death Eater's wand.

'Goodbye, Potter.' Bellatrix smiled triumphantly. '_AVADA KEDAVRA!_'

A jet of green light erupted from Bellatrix's wand. Harry stared at it numbly, unable to move as death approached him.

With a shrill scream filled with defiance, Hedwig swooped from her place on Harry's wardrobe, taking the spell in the chest. She tumbled from the air, lifeless, landing in Harry's lap. At the same instant, there was a yell of, '_Stupefy!_' and Bellatrix joined her comrade on the floor.

Harry stared numbly at the limp bundle of white feathers in his lap. He gently stroked Hedwig's soft chest, as his eyes filled with tears. She had taken the spell meant for him. Loyal to the end.

'Harry?' Ginny knelt beside him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. Harry sobbed, a hopeless sound that wrenched at Ginny's soul. She dropped the Death Eater's wand with a clatter and pulled him into a hug, Hedwig held between them. And for the first time since the start of summer, Harry allowed all the feelings he had bottled up loose. Ginny held him tightly as he cried, running her fingers through his messy hair and trying to stop her own tears from falling. Her back began to hurt from the awkward angle, but she fiercely ignored it.

There was a loud bang from downstairs, and soon after Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody and Tonks burst into the room.

'Harry!' Lupin said in relief, almost tripping over the prone Death Eaters in his haste to get to Harry. Ginny flipped her hand at him, warning him away, as Harry continued to sob into her shoulder.

Moody conjured ropes to bind the two prisoners, and levitated them outside. Tonks Disapparated to let the Order know that they were okay. Only Lupin remained, although he kept his distance from the two teens as Harry, now silent, continued to cling to his beloved pet and Ginny clung to him just as tightly. Finally Harry shifted, his lips inches from Ginny's, and he whispered, 'Thank you.'

========

Dumbledore arrived at Privet Drive a few minutes later, along with James, Professor McGonagall, and Snape. Incredibly, the Dursleys had slept through the whole incident.

Harry felt a hot surge of loathing course through him at the sight of Snape as the four entered Harry's bedroom. He was now sitting on his bed holding Hedwig, with Ginny close by and Lupin across from him on Ginny's bed. Harry's gaze became flat at the Potion Master's presence.

'Get out,' he said sharply.

Snape looked surprised, then he scowled. 'Potter –'

Dumbledore motioned for him to go. Snape turned sharply and stalked out of the room, his robes billowing out behind him as he went. Dumbledore sighed and sat beside Lupin on Ginny's bed. McGonagall and James shared a look, then took up stations on either side of the door.

'Harry,' Dumbledore started quietly. 'Please do not blame Professor Snape for what happened last year. I know this is hard –'

'I don't want to talk about it,' Harry said shortly. Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder, and he angrily shoved it off. Undeterred, she replaced it.

'I had thought that this was the safest place for you both,' Dumbledore said, his voice tired. 'Obviously I was wrong. Please, Harry, don't make this any more difficult than it already is.' He passed one hand over his eyes. 'I have decided to move you and certain other high risk students back to Hogwarts somewhat earlier than I had originally planed.' Harry shrugged indifferently, stroking his owl's soft feathers.

'It would appear I have underestimated Voldemort yet again,' Dumbledore sighed. Harry's head slowly raised, an incredulous look on his face. 'Taking some of your blood to use in the spell that resurrected him was really quite clever. Not only did it allow him to overcome the protection your mother gave you when she died, but it allowed him to manipulate the wards set up around this house in such a way that I never noticed until it was too late.'

Harry nodded slowly, deep in thought. 'Because he has some of me in him, and the wards are here to protect me.'

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. 'Very good Harry, it took some of the Order members some time to realise that.' He glanced slyly at Tonks, who had come through the door unnoticed. Tonks coughed nervously, blushing.

'All set, Professor,' she said, handing Dumbledore an old ratty book.

'Excellent,' Dumbledore handed the book to Harry. 'It's a Portkey,' he explained, seeing Harry's confused look. 'It will take you and Miss Weasley straight to Gryffindor Tower.'

'And me,' James said, coming forwards.

'Ah yes, and you of course James,' Dumbledore motioned the younger man forwards, and he placed a hand on the book. Ginny's slim hand came to rest on top of Harry's, and she smiled at him encouragingly. 'We shall bring your things up separately, but right now it is important to get you both to safety. I believe Miss Granger and Mister Weasley should already be there,' he added, and Harry brightened a little.

'Alright,' he said finally, handing Hedwig to Lupin, who took her tenderly. Dumbledore smiled.

'Excellent,' he said with some relief, glancing at his pocket watch. 'Here we go, three, two, one…'

Harry felt the familiar jerk behind his navel, and he was catapulted through the ethers to land unceremoniously in a heap on the floor in Gryffindor Tower, Ginny landing on top of him. Only James managed to stay upright. He shook his head in amusement as Ginny sprang to her feet and helped Harry up.

'Harry! Ginny!' Ron and Hermione stood from where they had been sitting before the fire and hurried over. 'So good to see you,' Hermione said breathlessly, kissing Harry on the cheek as Ron hugged his sister. Then they swapped, Ginny hugging Hermione and Ron slapping Harry on the back. As the friends greeted each other, James made himself scarce.

'What happened?' Ron asked as they all took seats before the fire. 'Kingsley Shacklebolt showed up at Hermione's and said that we had to get back to Hogwarts right away. Something about an attack. You right mate?'

Harry nodded absently, not really wanting to talk. It was Ginny who answered the question.

'It was Death Eaters,' she said quietly, and Ron and Hermione paled. 'One of them was Bellatrix Lestrange,' she added. Seeing their blank looks, she said in exasperation, 'You know, the one that killed Sirius!'

This was news to both of them; when Sirius had died, only Harry and Neville had been present. Ron had been entangled in the brain's tentacles, and Hermione had been unconscious.

'Harry?' Hermione asked uncertainly, but Harry didn't answer, just stared into the fire. The three looked at each other, wordlessly coming to an agreement. Ron and Hermione disappeared up the stairs to the boys dormitories, returning a few minutes later with four blankets. Ginny was curled up next to Harry, using his chest as a pillow. The Boy-Who-Lived was fast asleep, and an empty potion bottle on the table nearby explained why. Ron looked about to comment on the sleeping arrangements but Ginny snatched a blanket from him and shot him a look filled with such venom that he quailed, sliding onto the other couch. Hermione gave Ginny a small smile before mimicking her position with Ron. Ron looked rather surprised, but quickly settled down, running one hand through Hermione's bushy hair, a smile on his face as he settled down to sleep.

Ginny glanced over at Hermione and winked, before her eyes closed and she promptly went to sleep, her earlier tears completely forgotten.

__

A/N: God, this chapter almost had me in tears. I can't believe I just killed Hedwig.

Oh and don't worry, Bellatrix will be back.

Okay then, the Brownie Points (where the hell did I get that expression?) go to TankerMDK, who was the only one to figure out why Ginny was sent to Privet Drive. Bonus points to Poohdog for originality (Snape set Ron and Hermione an essay? That hadn't even occurred to me! Interesting idea though…lol)


	5. The Morning After

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: I thought there was supposed to be less fluff when they got back to Hogwarts, not more. Oh well. Maybe I can get it all out of the way now, or something. Bleh.

Harry awoke early the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. He lay on the comfortable couch in the common room, his mind blurry with a pleasant half-sleep, until he noticed a weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down to see a vividly red head resting on his chest.

Ginny's face wore an expression of soft contentment. The barriers usually present during the waking hours were absent, making her seem exceptionally vulnerable. For the first time, Harry really studied her face. She had a light smattering of freckles across her nose, which contrasted to her creamy skin. Her lips were full, and he briefly wondered what it would be like to kiss them.

Harry pulled himself up sharply. _This is Ginny_, he told himself sternly, _not some brainless airhead like Parvati_. He winced at that last thought. _Sorry Parvati_.

Even so, he couldn't help but notice how silky her hair felt where it brushed against his bare arm, and the warm feeling radiating through his chest where her head rested.

He glanced over at the other couch to see Ron and Hermione in the same position, and with Hermione wearing a similar expression to Ginny's. Ron was also awake and watching him closely. He seemed to be fighting internally with himself about something. Harry guessed what it was about and shrugged slightly, and Ron nodded, somehow managing to look downcast and pleased at the same time. Their brief movements were obviously not quite as subtle as they thought, as both girls began to stir.

'Morning Ron,' Hermione said sleepily, shifting into a more comfortable position, but obviously not ready to get up. Ron grinned a silly grin in Harry's direction, who smiled back.

'Morning Harry,' Ginny said quietly, raising her head to look into his face. She smiled a little uncertainly, as if not sure how her close position would be received. Harry wondered if kissing her forehead would be too forward, and settled on running his fingers through her hair with a smile.

She sighed, letting her head rest on his chest again. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. 'Thanks for…last night.' She started guiltily, and her eyes went to the empty potion bottle. 'It's alright,' Harry assured her, 'I needed it. And…thanks.'

She smiled gratefully at him, settling back down, idly running a hand across his chest. 'You're welcome.' She seemed to realise what she was doing suddenly and stopped, blushing furiously. She made to get up quickly, but Harry held her down, running his hand through her hair again.

'It's alright,' he assured her, smiling that tired, crooked smile that always made her knees go weak. 'I don't mind.'

With a sigh she settled back down, her hand once more tracing his chest. Her eyes flicked across the room to where Ron and Hermione lay to find Ron staring at her, or more precisely, her hand. He grimaced, as though fighting not to speak. Ginny's brown eyes held a challenge to her brother, who finally shook his head and lay back down. Hermione's eyes captured Ginny's and she winked.

========

If felt peculiar to be at Hogwarts without the usual crowds of students filling the halls. As far as they could tell, the only other students present at the castle were Neville and Luna, who had climbed through the portrait hole around mid morning. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Dumbledore had meant when he said "high risk students".

They met after lunch in Dumbledore's office. James, Professor McGonagall, and Snape were also there. Harry had tensed when Snape entered, but Ginny's hand on his shoulder stopped him from commenting.

Dumbledore surveyed the six students from behind his desk. He looked older than Harry had ever seen him, and much of the life had gone from his face. Harry had noticed the same changes in the other teachers he had seen so far; even Snape looked more careworn than he had at the end of the last school year.

'I suppose you all know why you are here,' Dumbledore said eventually.

'The Department of Mysteries,' Luna said dreamily.

'Indeed, Miss Lovegood,' Dumbledore nodded. 'When you foiled Voldemort's plan to acquire a copy of the Prophecy, you all became known to him, and that makes you all targets. Following last night's incident –'

'Please, Professor,' Hermione said quickly. 'What happened last night?'

'I told you,' Ginny said impatiently. 'Death Eaters attacked Harry and me at the Muggle's place.' She gave Dumbledore a sidelong look that held a barely veiled accusation.

Dumbledore sighed heavily. 'I believe I owe you an explanation, Miss Weasley,' he said, his blue eyes catching her brown ones. 'I sent you to stay with Harry for a very good reason.'

'I wondered about that,' Ron said, sitting up a little straighter.

'Indeed you should, Mister Weasley. The truth is, the attack on the Burrow had one specific purpose, and that purpose was not to wipe out the Weasley clan. Although that would have been a beneficial side effect, to Voldemort's mind, he has far more important targets to go after.'

'No, the truth is that the attack was aimed specifically at Miss Weasley.'

There was a stunned silence; only Snape looked unsurprised at the news. Of course, Harry thought bitterly, he's probably the one who supplied the information to Dumbledore. Beside him, Ginny tensed.

'Me?' she asked uncertainly, and Harry placed an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

'Indeed, the Death Eaters were after you. Voldemort has been informed of the Chamber incident in your first year, and he evidently seeks to use you to his own ends by means of that connection.'

Ginny stared at the Headmaster incredulously, then slowly nodded. 'I had a feeling Tom would find out,' she said quietly. She gently disengaged Harry's arm from around her shoulder, and stood. 'Since I have now become a liability, I will leave.' She pushed past McGonagall, walked quickly to the door, opened it somewhat harder than necessary, and left.

'Ginny!' Harry stood to go after her, but Ron grabbed his arm.

'Let me,' was all he said, then quickly followed his sister. Harry looked helplessly at Hermione, who was looking at him with sympathy.

'Let Ron take care of her,' she said, gently pulling his back into his seat.

Dumbledore looked unsurprised at Ginny's quick exit. 'Fortunately for us,' he continued, adjusting his half moon glasses, 'Bellatrix disobeyed her master and attacked you before he was ready. From what Professor Snape has said,' he indicated the sneering Potion's Master, 'Voldemort was most annoyed. I'm surprised that you didn't feel anything, Harry.'

'Ginny forced me to drink a Dreamless Sleep potion,' Harry said, absently rubbing his scar, which was prickling slightly.

'Ah,' Dumbledore said delicately. 'In any case, Bellatrix is now back in Azkaban, although how long she will remain there is anyone's guess. Now that the Dementors have left, Azkaban is no longer secure. I only hope I can convince Minister Fudge of this before it is too late.'

'But that is my fight,' the Headmaster said firmly as Hermione started to speak. 'You all have too much to do already without worrying about this.'

'Harry, Professor Milton has given his consent, if you wanted to start the DA again as an official school club.'

'Professor Milton?' Harry asked in confusion.

'What, forgotten me already?' James asked, waving. 'Hey! Over here!'

'Indeed, Professor Milton will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year,' Dumbledore said.

'Which I hope you will all be taking this year?' James glanced at all four present students.

'Of course,' Harry said absently, his mind only half on the conversation.

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Well, I can see that we're not going to get much more accomplished today. You can all go back to Gryffindor tower, if you wish. We shall talk more tomorrow.'

========

By the time Ron got to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, Ginny had vanished. He knew that there were only a few places she would go and, guessing the most likely one, he started walking.

He found her at the top of the astronomy tower, sitting on a ledge hugging her knees and gazing out over the lake. She didn't acknowledge him as he approached. He sat down on the ledge opposite her and waited for her to speak first.

'They all hate me, don't they?' she asked in a voice barely over a whisper.

'Of course not,' Ron said immediately.

'They do,' Ginny said, her eyes closing as tears prickled behind them. 'Voldemort's after me, and I'm putting you all in danger.'

'Ginny,' Ron said gently, 'You-Know-Who's been after Harry for sixteen years, and he's still here.'

'But he's Harry!' She burst out, shaking her head angrily. 'He can always get out of these things.'

'And he'll help you get out of this, if you let him.' Ron stood and walked closer, but she shied away from him.

'Why would he help someone he hates?'

'Ginny!' Ron said in exasperation. 'Don't be a prat. Firstly, Harry doesn't hate you. Secondly, he'd even help Draco Malfoy if he thought it was the right thing to do, and thirdly…' Ron hesitated, took a deep breath, and plunged on. 'Third, he's totally crazy about you.'

Slowly, Ginny's head raised until she was looking into her brother's eyes. 'You're just saying that,' she said finally.

'No I'm not,' he said forcefully, approaching her again. This time she allowed him to sit next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. 'You haven't seen all the looks he was giving you all last year while you weren't looking. And this morning…' Ron trailed off as he thought about the look on Harry's face that morning as he had watched Ginny sleeping. When he spoke again, his voice was higher than usual. 'Trust me, he's nuts about you. He just doesn't realise it yet.'

Ginny wiped her eyes with one hand, and then said in a small voice, 'Really?'

Ron smiled, although it came out as more of a grimace, and he swallowed hard. 'Trust me,' he repeated, his voice normal again.

Ginny sighed, giving her brother a one armed hug. 'Oh, Ron,' she said, burying her face in his shoulder. Awkwardly, he stroked her hair like he had seen his mother do when she was comforting her daughter.

They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying each other's presence. They hadn't spent much time together since Ron started school, a separation that had been most painful for Ginny. His presence now, when she needed him most, was all she could have asked for.

__

A/N: A little shorter than usual, but there was nowhere else to take it. Oh well, I'll make up for it in the next chapter. I really didn't like this one, and just wanted it over with.

Next Chapter: Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna find out about the Prophecy. Oh goody!


	6. The Planning Stage

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Yes, I realise that Luna isn't a Gryffindor, but since she's the only Ravenclaw currently at Hogwarts and all the other students are Gryffindors, Dumbledore is allowing her to stay in Gryffindor Tower until term starts.

Ron and Ginny joined the other four students in the Gryffindor common room some time later. Harry waved Ginny over to a seat on the lounge next to him. Ginny hesitated, indecision momentarily gripping her until Ron gave her a gentle shove in Harry's direction. She sank onto the lounge, but kept a little distance between her and Harry.

It was Hermione who broke the silence. 'Okay Harry, we're all here. What did you want to tell us?'

Harry took a deep breath to steady his nerves. This was it. Until now, the only person he had told about the Prophecy and his role in the coming war was Ginny. He glanced at her now; her eyes were downcast, seemingly focused on the fire roaring on the hearth. He looked around at his other friends; Ron was watching him curiously, Hermione had her bottom lip caught between her teeth in anticipation, Neville looked anxious. Luna was looking at him intently, not at all like her usual dreamy self.

'_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives_.'

Harry repeated the Prophecy quietly; he had gone over it so many times he had it committed to memory now. As he spoke, he watched his friend's faces. Ginny was scowling, the same scowl she had worn every time they had discussed the Prophecy at Privet Drive. Ron looked puzzled, and Neville's face went deathly white as Harry finished speaking. Luna was watching him like a hawk.

Hermione, however, was looking at him in horror.

'But…you have to…surely not…' She bit her lip, then sighed, running her hands through her hair in frustration. 'Oh, _Harry_.'

'What's it mean?' Ron asked, obviously puzzled.

'Simple,' Luna said, as if discussing the weather. 'Either Harry kills You-Know-Who, or You-Know-Who will kill _him_.'

Ron gaped at her in horror.

'But…Harry can't…he couldn't…can you?' Ron looked hopefully at Harry.

'Look,' Harry said, catching each set of eyes in turn. 'If any of you don't want to go on, I'll understand. Chances are if you hang around me long enough, you'll get killed, so if you want to pull out, I won't blame you.'

'Don't be daft,' Ron said absently, obviously still struggling with the whole concept.

'I told you once before, Harry,' Ginny said, resting her head on his shoulder. 'You won't get rid of us that easily.'

'Of course I'm with you,' Hermione said, shaking her head. 'Honestly, do you think any of us would leave you at this point?'

'It could have been me, couldn't it?' Neville's face was still deathly pale.

Harry nodded reluctantly. 'Yes,' he said truthfully. 'It could have been.'

Neville closed his eyes, his lips moving slightly as if talking to himself. Finally he opened them, and his face took on a determined look.

'I'm with you,' he said firmly. 'I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm with you.'

Harry looked at the round-faced boy gratefully. 'Thank you,' he said quietly. 'All of you.'

Hermione waved his thanks aside. 'If you don't have any choice in any of this, then I think the first step is to get as many students to join the DA as possible when term starts.' When Harry gave her a puzzled look, Hermione sighed. 'Think, Harry. If he's after you, what's going to be his first target?'

Harry's face went pale. 'Hogwarts.'

'Exactly,' Hermione said crisply. 'We need to train as many students as we can so that they can help the teachers defend the castle if Voldemort – oh _really _Ron, it's just a name – attacks.'

Ron had flinched violently when Hermione had said 'Voldemort'. 'Yeah, but it's the name of the git who's trying to kill my best friend!' he retorted.

'Maybe I should just leave,' Harry said pensively. 'Go to London, let myself be seen. Then Voldemort wouldn't have any reason to come after the school.'

'Don't be silly,' Ginny said sharply.

'I'm serious,' Harry sat up straight and made to stand.

'Get back here,' Ginny pulled him back into his seat. 'If you go traipsing off to London and get yourself killed, who's going to stop Voldemort?'

'You don't understand,' Harry said hotly. 'What if Voldemort attacks the castle? How could I live with myself if some little first year – or the whole student body – gets killed in a fight I'm the cause of?'

'I don't think they'd leave us alone just because you weren't here,' Neville said quietly. His face was still drawn and pale, and he was trembling slightly.

'That's true,' Luna said. 'Hogwarts is far too tempting to the Dark Lord for him to just pass it by, if only for the fact that it is Dumbledore's base of operations and there are several powerful members of the Order of the Phoenix stationed here.'

Everyone in the room stared at the blond Ravenclaw girl.

'What?' she asked, her head tilting to the side slightly.

Hermione gained her composure first. 'Umm…that's very true,' she said carefully.

Luna gazed at her. 'You know, there is a reason that I'm in Ravenclaw,' she said serenely.

Harry was trying very hard not to laugh at the look on Hermione's face. 'Okay,' he said, drawing everyone's attention back to him. 'I'll stay, but I'll need help from all of you if we're going to start training students.'

'We definitely need to speak with Professor Milton,' Hermione said thoughtfully. 'He could probably help you get some sort of training program together.'

'What about wandless fighting?' Neville asked. 'I know that Aurors get training in fighting without their wands, and fencing, and other stuff like that.'

'That's a good idea, Neville,' Hermione beamed at him and he flushed. 'We'll have to find someone to train with, though.' She frowned slightly, her brows knitting together as she thought.

'What about Tonks?' Ron suggested.

'You want to let Tonks in the same room as you with a long pointy object?' Harry asked incredulously.

Ron grinned. 'Definitely. One day over summer, before the…' he trailed off, took a deep breath, and continued, 'before the attack on the Burrow, she had the day off and came around to visit while Bill was there. When he mentioned that he was a curse breaker and had done a bit of Auror training, she insisted on having a duel with him.' Ron shook his head. 'It was embarrassing. Fighting with wands wasn't too bad, but when they got to fencing, Bill only lasted about three seconds, and I'd thought he was good before then. He's nothing on Tonks.'

'Okay, well the least we can do is ask her,' Harry looked at Hermione, who still looked dubious.

'She may not be able to get time off from the Ministry, especially if Death Eater activity is on the rise again.' That morning at breakfast, the _Daily Prophet_ had arrived with the headline, _Twenty-Three Dead In Death Eater Rampage_.

'How important is this training?' Harry asked cautiously.

Hermione looked exasperated. 'Didn't I just say it was really important?'

Harry smiled. 'Okay then, I have an idea.'

'Like what?' Ron asked.

Harry grinned at his friend. 'Wait and see.'

========

Tonks arrived about two hours later. When she entered the Gryffindor common room, she was met with five incredulous looks and one pleased smile.

'Not happy to see me?' she teased, dropping into a seat beside Hermione.

'What…but…how…huh?'

Harry and Tonks exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

'Very smooth, Ron,' Ginny said, shaking her head. 'Hi Tonks,' she added.

'Hello Ginny,' Tonks said, her currently blue eyes taking in the girl's close proximity to Harry with a broad smile as Ginny flushed.

'Thanks for coming, Tonks,' Harry said gratefully.

'You're welcome.' She paused. 'Now…why exactly am I here?'

And so Harry explained his plan. He had slipped out and spoken to Dumbledore after their previous conversation, telling him of their plans and their need for Tonks. Dumbledore had agreed to his plan and immediately contacted Minister Fudge. Harry had waited outside Dumbledore's office during the conversation until the headmaster called him back in.

'It's all settled,' Dumbledore said, gazing at Harry from behind his steepled fingers. 'As you said, I suggested he place an Auror here permanently to guard you and the school. He was surprisingly accepting of the idea, so I suggested Nymphadora on the basis that you already knew her and were comfortable with her presence. She will be here within a few hours.'

As Harry finished his recital of his conversation with the headmaster, Tonks laughed. 'Anyway,' she took up the story, 'Shacklebolt came to me a few hours ago and told me I'd been restationed to Hogwarts. I should have had my suspicions by that point, but I thought it was just Dumbledore. Imagine my surprise when the first thing he said when I walked into his office was that I should speak with you lot.'

Everyone laughed, and Ginny nudged Harry. 'Are you sure you should be in Gryffindor? That sounds like a Slytherin's plan.'

'The Hat suggested it,' Harry said casually. The laughter abruptly ceased. 'Oh come on,' he said exasperatedly. 'Don't you all get it? Remember the Sorting Hat's song last year? We should be trying to get along with the other houses, not fighting them.'

'So long as you don't try to make me be friendly with Malfoy, I'll be alright,' Ron declared.

Ginny grinned at her brother. 'Ron, it's hard enough trying to stop you two from murdering each other. Believe me, we have no delusions that you will _ever_ be friends.'

Everyone laughed at that, dispelling the tension that had built up at Harry's comment. It reminded him, however, of just how far he had to go. He himself was (rather painfully) beginning to get over his prejudices, but it may take a lot longer for some to get the idea. He sighed pensively as Ron and Hermione explained their ideas to Tonks.

Only Ginny noticed his sigh. She didn't speak, but her arm snaked it's way around his waist as she squeezed him slightly. Harry smiled slightly, glancing down into Ginny's brown eyes, seeing them wide with concern.

Seconds later, his scar exploded with pain.

__

A/N: Muahahahaha! I love seeing Luna show Hermione up :)

Also, if anyone has a story that they would like edited (yes, I do edit my own work), I'd be happy to take a look. Shoot me an e-mail (the address is listed in my profile) if you're interested.


	7. Waking Dreams

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage 

By James Milamber

A/N: Blasted computer ate the first version of this chapter (the dream sequence was _so_ much better the first time around) so I had to re-write it all. Grrr.

__

Lord Voldemort stood in the middle of a huge stone room, surrounded by a ring of Death Eaters. Another was sprawled on the floor in front of him, his head bowed.

Voldemort stared at the cringing figure with cold disdain, his serpentine eyes narrowed to slits.

'I had thought of all my Death Eaters, you at least were competent, Severus,' he hissed, and several of the Death Eaters visibly shivered. 'It would appear that I was wrong.'

The figure raised its head slowly, climbing painfully to its feet. A voice that unmistakably belonged to the Potion's Master of Hogwarts emanated from behind the stark white mask.

'Forgive me, My Lord,' Snape said, bowing slightly. 'Dumbledore is not as foolish as I once assumed. He does not tell me everything as he once did. I am truly sorry for not bringing this matter to your attention sooner.'

Voldemort looked at Snape with a mirthless smile. 'Do you truly think me so foolish, Severus? Do you expect me to believe that Dumbledore would not inform you of a new staff member?'

'Forgive me, My Lord,' Snape said again. 'I had not left my rooms for some days until this morning, and I was unaware of his presence at the castle until a few hours ago.'

Voldemort hissed in annoyance. 'Very well,' he said finally. 'What of the Potter boy?'

'He and his friends were brought to the castle yesterday, My Lord,' Snape replied, his eyes downcast.

Voldemort hissed again. 'I am most displeased with Bella,' he said, his voice like the dry hiss of snake's scales. 'She has ruined all my plans with her reckless attack.' Voldemort's gaze roamed the room, resting on each Death Eater in turn. 'She was, however, the most loyal of my followers,' he continued, his eyes again resting on Snape. 'Not like some others I could mention.' Snape remained silent.

'Very well then,' Voldemort said eventually. 'You shall return to Hogwarts and watch that fool Dumbledore carefully. I want to know what he has planned for the Mind Mage.'

'As you wish, My Lord.' Snape bowed again, wincing visibly as he did so, and his hand twitched almost involuntarily to his side. Voldemort smiled cruelly.

'Mr. Milton will come to regret his hasty decision,' he said, his slitted eyes burning bright red, almost the colour of blood. 'But first, you must be punished for your failure.'

'Crucio!'

__

Snape screamed; and many miles away, his scream was echoed through Gryffindor Tower.

========

'Harry!'

Harry's scar felt like it was on fire; black spots danced before his eyes and his ears were ringing, making it hard for him to recognise the voice.

A cool hand rested on his scar, and the pain began to dull, although it was some moments before it faded entirely. He opened his eyes and flinched from the bright light. Screwing them shut again, he concentrated on getting his breathing to its normal rate.

He opened his eyes again to find Ginny's blurry face hovering above his own, her eyes filled with concern. He was lying on the floor in front of the fire; behind her, Hermione was forcibly restraining Ron from running to his side as he attempted to slap her hands away. Neville's face was white, his lips pressed tightly together as he stared at Harry in horror, and Luna looked oddly thoughtful.

'I'm alright,' Harry said weakly, allowing Ginny to help him into a seated position and replace his glasses. The details of his vision came back to him suddenly, and he would have fallen backwards if Ginny hadn't been supporting him.

'Snape…being tortured,' he muttered, as Ginny helped him to stand and take a seat on the couch again.

'Serves him right,' Ron said, sinking back into his chair as he saw that Harry was alright. 'Greasy git.'

Harry didn't have the strength to argue. Privately, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Snape. He angrily pushed those thoughts down; after all Snape had done, he didn't deserve pity.

'James,' Harry said suddenly, sitting up straighter.

'What about him?' Tonks asked. She had been so quiet since Harry's vision he had forgotten she was there.

Harry's face screwed up, this time not from pain but from the effort to remember. 'Something about a hasty decision,' he said finally. 'Voldemort wasn't happy.'

'He wouldn't be,' Tonks said absently, then started suddenly as if she had said the wrong thing. Hermione and Luna were both staring at her expectantly.

'Oops?' she offered weakly, then sighed as their expressions remained the same. 'Okay, fine. James – that's Professor Milton to you, by the way – was approached by Voldemort some weeks ago, wanting him to join the Death Eaters.'

'He called James a Mind Mage,' Harry said, 'then told Snape to watch him, and that he'd pay for turning down their offer.'

Tonks looked thoughtful. 'I'm not really surprised,' she said finally.

'What's a Mind Mage?' Ginny asked curiously.

'It's a wizard who doesn't need to use a wand,' Hermione supplied. 'They're usually really powerful, but there are some things they can't do.'

'Like what?'

'I expect Professor Milton will cover this in your first lesson,' Tonks said pointedly.

Harry sighed, running his hands through his sweaty hair. The pain in his scar was down to a dull ache, but he still felt as if he had run a fifty mile marathon. He tuned out the others as their conversation continued. He yawned, his eyes drifting shut. He lay down, his head on something soft, and promptly went to sleep.

Ginny was somewhat surprised when Harry lay down with his head on her lap. She could feel her face burning as she watched the raven-haired head resting across her legs, and knew from the lack of talking that the others were looking at her. Absently she ran a hand through his messy hair, as he himself had done moments ago, then glanced up. Ron was smirking at her, Hermione gave her a wink, Luna was gazing dreamily out the window, and Neville was trying hard to disguise his jealousy of Harry. Tonks, on the other hand, was staring at them in shock. Suddenly she smiled.

'Just wait till Molly hears about this!' she rubbed her hands together in glee.

Ginny laughed nervously as Ron went into a coughing fit and Hermione rubbed his back. She glanced down at Harry again to see a peaceful smile across his face, and she couldn't help but smile as well.

========

It was later than night when Harry awoke. The fire had burned down to embers, and by it's dim light he could see he was still in the common room. Across from him, Ron and Hermione were once again sharing a couch, although this time it was Hermione who was being used as a pillow; suprisingly, Neville and Luna shared the third couch. Tonks was no-where in sight.

He briefly wondered where Ginny was, until he looked up to find himself resting on her lap. She had gone to sleep sitting up, and her head was lolling to the side in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position. Obviously she had decided to endure the discomfort rather than wake him, and he was touched by her gesture.

Gently, so as not to wake her, he lay down lengthways and repositioned her so she was laying with her head once again on his chest. He smiled, gently tracing the line of her jaw with one finger, then drifted off to sleep again.

========

Ginny awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the windows of Gryffindor Tower. It took her a while to notice that she was not in the same position as she had been when she went to sleep. She raised her head slightly to see Harry's eyes open and watching her.

'That looked uncomfortable,' he remarked quietly, as the others were still asleep.

'It wasn't that bad,' Ginny lied, but her neck betrayed her as she moved it; it cracked loudly. Ginny winced, rubbing her neck with one hand. 'Okay, maybe it was.'

'Here,' Harry said, repositioning her until she was facing away from him. He raised his hands and began to rub her neck and back, his fingertips probing between the joints in her neck. There were several cracks as vertebra snapped back into position, followed by muffled gasps from Ginny.

When he finished her neck, he started to rub her shoulders. Ginny sighed, resting back against him as he continued to rub gently, relaxing her shoulder muscles. He continued to rub for a few minutes until he heard the unmistakable sounds of someone stirring from sleep, and stopped abruptly.

'There we go,' he said lamely, blushing furiously as Hermione looked around the room in a daze.

'Hi Hermione!' Ginny said brightly as if nothing had happened, simultaneously grasping Harry's hand and giving it a squeeze.

Hermione yawned, blinking at the bright light. 'Hi yourself,' she grumbled, poking Ron in the shoulder.

'Whazzamatta?' Ron mumbled sleepily, his eyes screwed shut.

'Get off me, Ron!' Hermione said impatiently, but Harry had known her long enough to see that she wasn't really annoyed.

Ron sat up quickly. 'Sorry,' he said, shaking his head to clear it and blinking rapidly.

'It's alright,' she said, smiling and surprising all present by kissing him on the cheek. 'What?' she asked calmly as she saw Harry and Ginny's face.

'Nothing,' Harry said quickly, trying to conceal his smile.

Soon Neville and Luna were stirring as well. Neville looked extremely embarrassed by the fact that Luna had slept with her head in the crook of his arm, but Luna looked completely unbothered by the fact.

'It's not as if we're going out or anything,' she said calmly, causing Neville to blush even harder and Ron to snort in amusement, which in turn earned him a jab in the ribs from Hermione's elbow.

As the girls and Neville disappeared to shower, Harry sat back on the couch with a broad smile on his face. Ron watched him from the other side of the room. They were silent for a few moments until Ron suddenly spoke.

'Don't hurt her.'

Harry blinked, the smile disappearing in an instant.

'I'm serious,' Ron said, sitting up straight on his couch. 'If you hurt her, I'll kill you.'

His face was deadly serious, and Harry couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

'Take it easy, Ron,' he said hastily. 'We're not going out, you know. We're just friends.'

Ron stared at him intensely for several minutes, until Harry could feel his face flaming. He didn't look down, however, but kept his eyes locked on Ron's. Emerald green met sapphire blue, and Harry wondered who would be the first to look away.

Finally, Ron spoke again. 'I won't bring this up again, but I am serious. If you hurt her, I will kill you. Best friend or not.'

'Fair enough,' Harry nodded. 'And since Hermione doesn't have any brothers to do the honours, I give you the same warning.' Ron looked startled, so Harry shrugged. 'She's a sister to me in everything but blood, you know that.'

Ron nodded slowly, imitating Harry's previous movements. 'Fair enough,' he echoed Harry. Suddenly he grinned. 'We'd best be careful then,' he said. 'I know you could beat _me_ in a duel, but the whole Weasley family is another matter, Mr. Potter.'

Harry laughed, and the two headed off to the showers.


	8. Diagonilly

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Alima, who has reviewed EVERY CHAPTER (and somehow managed to review chapter 7 before it even appeared on FF.net…)

Also, since I have no idea how JK is going to do it, I'm not going to make a big issue about the OWL's. Just assume Harry passed everything, and I'll slip in more info when I can.

The next week passed quickly. They didn't see much of Tonks, who wouldn't be officially staying at Hogwarts until term started. Hermione and Ron spent most of their free time in the library looking for anything useful, although Harry privately suspected that studying was _not_ very high on Ron's list of priorities.

Neville and Luna seemed to be spending a lot more time together, too, although Neville seemed to be of two minds about this. It was common knowledge among the group that he had a crush on Ginny, although at times she herself seemed oblivious.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of Ginny. He found it hard to believe that he had been dense enough to ignore her for so long. Now that they were friends – and Harry was privately willing to admit that he sometimes felt far more than friendship for the youngest Weasley – she seemed to glow with an inner radiance he had never noticed before. Every time they touched it was as if a spark jumped between them. Increasingly he had found himself watching her as she went about her day, admiring the way her hair shifted colours in the differing light of the common room, be it firelight or sunlight.

Unfortunately for his ears, he saw the other side of her usually gentle personality up close when she got riled up at Ron one day. The two were arguing so loudly that a harassed looking Professor McGonagall appeared and told them both off.

'Stupid git,' Ginny muttered darkly as Ron left the entrance hall, the scene of the argument, with Hermione.

'What was that all about?' Harry asked, having come in halfway through, by which point the argument had degenerated to name calling.

Ginny took a deep breath to steady herself. 'He was asking about Michael,' she said shortly.

'Ah.' Harry knew her well enough by now not to press the issue. 'Oh, that's right,' he said, suddenly remembering the reason he'd been looking for her. 'Professor Milton wants to see us.'

By the time they had reached James' office, Ginny had more or less regained her composure. They entered the office to find James seated behind his desk, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. Opened in front of him were several large books, all bound in black leather.

'Ah, Harry, Ginny, please sit,' he said, pausing from his writing and indicating two comfortable looking chairs in front of his desk.

'Lesson plans,' he said when he noticed Harry's curious glance at the parchment. 'Honestly, how any of you have any knowledge in this subject is beyond me. Your teachers so far have been hopeless. Except Lupin, of course,' he added hastily when Harry looked furious. 'But he still had a bit of a one sided approach, didn't he?'

'But that's not the point of you being here,' he continued before either students could speak. He looked directly at Harry. 'Professor McGonagall informs me that you have decided not to take Potions this year, even after Professor Snape said he would accept you into his class. May I ask why?'

Harry sighed heavily. 'I all honesty, sir, I don't think I could put up with Snape for another two years.'

'You realise that this will affect your chances of becoming an Auror, don't you?' James looked at him intently.

'The way I see it, this is going to end two ways,' Harry said. 'Either I kill Voldemort, or he kills me. In the second option, I doubt very much I'll be in need of a job. In the first, do you really think they'd turn me down just because I didn't have a passing Potions grade?'

James smiled briefly. 'I doubt it,' he said. 'Alright, since you're not taking Potions, can I ask what subjects you _are_ taking?'

'Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and Care of Magical Creatures,' Harry answered promptly.

'That's only four subjects,' James noted. 'What about the fifth?'

Harry hesitated. 'Professor Dumbledore told me to keep one subject free,' he said finally. That was true – he had mentioned it when they had spoken a few days after Harry arrived at Hogwarts.

James nodded almost to himself. 'Yes, that what I expected,' he muttered, then smiled. 'Alright then, Dumbledore has decided that you can all go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies, but you are not all going together. You two will go tomorrow with me and Tonks, Ron and Hermione are going the day after with Professor McGonagall and Lupin, and Neville and Luna will be the day after with Professor Snape and Kingsley Shacklebolt.'

Harry winced at the thought of Neville being forced to spend the day with Snape, but he couldn't help but think that it was better Neville than him. _At least he'll have Luna_, he mentally smirked.

Ginny seemed to be thinking the same thing. 'Poor Snape,' she murmured as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

'Why poor Snape?'

Ginny smirked. 'In my third year, I had Potions with the Ravenclaws. Luna drives Snape absolutely mad.'

Harry laughed. 'I can imagine.'

Ginny grinned. 'The worst part is, she does every Potion perfectly, so he can't even complain about her without looking really silly,' she said gleefully.

And so it was that they found themselves Portkeyed into the store room of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes the following morning, with Harry wearing his "Prong's Jr." cap to hide his scar. Fred and George were there to greet them.

'Harry!' Fred was grinning as he leapt forward, taking Harry's hand and shaking it vigorously. 'Absolutely corking to see you again, old boy…'

'Simply spiffing!' George grabbed his other hand, and Harry found himself being shaken like a rag doll.

'Help!' he looked over his shoulder at Ginny to see her doubled over with laughter.

'That's enough, you two,' Tonks said, trying to conceal her own smile. The twins let go, and Harry rubbed his shoulders.

'Is that any way to treat a shareholder?' Harry demanded, flashing the card he had received for his birthday with a grin.

George laughed delightedly. 'Ah, the first visit to our store by a shareholder!' he declared, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and leading him into the front of the store. Fred preceded them, opening the door with a flourish and a grand bow. Harry couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't imagine a year at Hogwarts without the twins.

The shop wasn't large, but it was filled to overflowing with all the twin's latest products, which for the most part, Harry and Ginny had seen in the bag the twins gave Harry for his birthday. Lee Jordan was manning the front counter and gave them a wave in between customers. Fred asked them if they wanted to see their experimental items, so they spent an enjoyable half-hour in the Development Room, which was built with plain concrete covered in scorch marks and odd coloured stains.

Finally, and with promises to return at the end of the day, Harry, Ginny and Tonks escaped the shop. James had left some time ago, but now they saw him striding up the street towards them.

'Seems clear,' he said when he reached them. 'A few unsavouries, but nothing unusual.'

'Unsavouries?' Harry asked.

'It's an Auror term,' Tonks said, looking at James quizzically. 'It means someone that's suspicious.'

'C'mon, Gringott's first,' James said, pointedly ignoring the question implicit in Tonk's gaze.

As they made their way to Gringott's, James leaned down and whispered in Harry's ear, 'I'd advise you to take out a significant amount of gold today.' When Harry looked at him blankly, James smirked. 'Trust me,' he added.

Harry shrugged, and when he got to his vault he filled an extra bag full of Galleons and tucked it into his robes. He noticed that, although he had been steadily spending it since his first year, there actually seemed to be a lot more money in his vault than before.

When he commented on this to Tonks, she smiled sadly.

'What do you think happened to the Black family fortune?' was all she said.

Harry felt a wave of grief crash over him. He had tried to put Sirius to the back of his mind, tried to forget that the closest thing he had to a parent was now dead. He took a deep, shuddering breath and felt tears well up in his eyes as his mind once again replayed those last moments in the Department of Mysteries.

An arm snaked around his waist, and a head rested on his shoulder. Harry's nostrils filled with the scent of Ginny's hair, something subtle that he couldn't quite place. His arm almost automatically went around her waist in return, and with his free hand he dashed away the tears. Together, they left Gringott's, with Tonks and James trailing behind, the later with a mysterious smile on his face.

Harry and Ginny stayed in their half-embrace all the way to Madam Malkin's, where they parted reluctantly. Harry opened his mouth to thank her, but she pressed a finger to his lips.

'Don't,' she breathed, shaking her head slightly before being pulled away to try on some new robes by Tonks. James was still smiling mysteriously.

'I'd just like to point out that you're not the only one who has a birthday in the summer holidays,' James said, but shushed Harry when he tried to speak. 'Robes,' he commanded.

Harry was still trying to work out the meaning of James' comment when they had finished at Madam Malkin's and had moved on to Flourish and Blott's. If it was a hint that James' birthday was coming up, it was horribly obvious. No, he must have meant something else.

It was only when Harry saw Ginny looking wistfully at a broom display in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies that it finally clicked. He had never noticed that Ginny didn't celebrate her birthday while she was at school, so it must fall on the holidays, and from James' comment, it must be soon.

As he watched her admiring the brooms with an air of one who knows they will never own one, he also realised why James had told him to withdraw so much money, and he found himself liking the idea immensely.

Harry pulled James aside quickly. 'When is it?' he hissed.

James shook his head. 'Took you long enough. Honestly, I'd thought you were smart.'

'When?'

'Next Monday,' James glanced at Ginny, who was now chatting with Tonks about the brooms, but still had a sad, wistful look about her.

'Thanks,' Harry said gratefully. He raised his voice. 'Come on James, I need some new Quidditch gloves, mine are almost worn out.'

'Okay Harry,' James winked at him, then turned to the girls. 'Why don't you two go get something to eat, and we'll meet you in the Leaky Cauldron.'

Tonks got the idea quickly enough and dragged Ginny off, who stared longingly back over her shoulder at the brooms. James tugged at Harry's sleeve.

'Come on then,' he said, ushering Harry inside the shop.

It didn't take long to pick a broom. Harry remembered Ginny saying that she would be trying out for Chaser this year, which made him immediately gravitate to the all new Lightningbolt, a new, Chaser specific version of his own Firebolt. He didn't even balk at the price; it was Sirius' money anyway, and he didn't want nor need it. Far better that he use it to spoil Ginny a little, who had never really had a lot of money.

Harry paid for the broom and told the clerk to send it to Hogwarts, care of the Headmaster. He would get it from Dumbledore on Sunday night, and until then there would be no chance of Ginny accidentally stumbling onto it. Feeling very pleased with himself, he followed James from the shop.

When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron they found Tonks and Ginny sitting together on the far side of the room. Ginny waved to Harry, who waved back, a rather silly grin on his face. He began threading his way through the tables towards them, when suddenly someone grabbed his arm.

'Hello Potter,' Draco Malfoy breathed.

'Fuck off Malfoy,' Harry snarled, wrenching his arm free of Draco's grip.

'Language Potter,' Draco smirked, and for the first time Harry noticed Draco's wand in his left hand, pointed discretely at Harry. 'So easy,' he murmured when he saw the object of Harry's gaze, 'to make it look like an accident. So many people…'

'Mister Malfoy, I presume?'

Draco spun to find James standing behind him, arms crossed and eyes flashing dangerously.

'What's it to you?' Draco said loftily.

'What's it to me?' James mimicked. 'What do you think you're doing, threatening another student?'

Draco glared coldly at James. 'I was merely –'

'I know exactly what you were "merely" doing, Mister Malfoy,' James cut him off. 'If you do it again, I'll see you expelled.' Draco looked at him incredulously. 'Oh yes, did I forget to mention? It's "Professor Milton", Draco.'

Draco's gray eyes went dangerously flat. 'You will both pay for this,' he hissed, then turned and stalked away.

Harry shook his head. 'What a jackass,' he said scornfully.

James smiled wryly. 'I could think of a lot worse things to call him.'

They finally made it to where Ginny and Tonks were seated. As Harry slid into a seat next to Ginny, she frowned.

'What did Malfoy want?' she asked.

'Who cares?' Harry shrugged. 'It's just Malfoy. I'm not going to let him ruin my good mood.'

'What brought this on?' she asked curiously.

Harry just grinned. 'Secret,' he said. She pouted, which distracted Harry significantly and he was on the verge of telling her when James cleared his throat loudly.

'You'll find out, Ginny,' he said. 'Soon, I should think,' he added, with a glance at Harry's face.

A/N: Ahh, the first appearance of the Amazing Bouncing Ferret! In case you couldn't tell, I'm not very fond of old Draco, so expect him to come out with the short end of the stick at some point in this fic.

Also, after reading 'Colours of the Forest' by gpotter (great story, I'd recommend it), I've decided that bad things need to happen to Michael Corner. I can't wait for term to start...

Okay, just so there's no confusion, I've put Ginny's birthday on the 10th of August, which makes it ten days after Harry's (if you'll remember, they arrived at Hogwarts the night of Harry's birthday). I'm placing Ron's birthday near Christmas sometime, which makes him about 18 months older than Ginny, and Hermione's is in September (that's mentioned in the books, when she buys Crookshanks).

Next Chapter: Ginny's birthday, oh goody!


	9. The Birthday Spirit

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Bloody ff.net is playing silly buggers with my word count…this story actually has about a thousand more words than it says it does. Bah.

Monday couldn't come fast enough in Harry's opinion. His initial euphoria at buying Ginny's birthday present had worn off very quickly when they had walked past the Magical Menagerie. He noticed a snowy owl perched in the window, and his heart turned to lead in his chest as he thought of his own beloved owl, Hedwig. For the second time that day, tears welled in his eyes, and also for the second time, Ginny wound herself into that peculiar half embrace to comfort him.

Their final stop that day had been St. Mungo's. There they had visited Charlie, who looked rather like he'd tried to swim the English Channel through a school of sharks. He was covered in bandages, even after two weeks in hospital, and his face had a deathly pale hue. Nevertheless, he was alert and rational, and the Mediwitch on duty assured them that he would make a full recovery.

They couldn't stay long, and soon Harry found himself herding a teary eyed Ginny from the room, amid promises to visit again before term started. Harry felt strangely awkward about Ginny's tears. When she comforted him it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, but he wasn't sure how she would take it if he tried to do the same for her. He eventually settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a light squeeze. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with mute gratitude, then buried her face in his shoulder.

Harry had never considered just how much her brother's injuries had affected Ginny. He himself was not very close to Charlie, and so could look at his injury from an outsider's perspective. For Ginny, however, this was not some vague acquaintance; this was her brother, and Harry felt a little ashamed for being so self absorbed that he had not noticed Ginny's own grief.

Monday dawned bright and warm and was, in Harry's opinion, a perfect day for flying. He glanced down at Ginny, once again sleeping with her head pillowed on his chest, to find her eyes wide open and her lips moving soundlessly.

'Ginny?' he asked quietly, but she ignored him. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she continued to stare unseeingly at nothing, her lips moving as if she were speaking. This continued for a few minutes, then she let out a soft sigh and her eyes drifted closed. Harry stared at her in confusion, for she was quite obviously still asleep. He mentally shrugged; for all he knew, this was a normal occurrence that happened to everyone. He wouldn't mention it unless it happened again.

It wasn't long before her eyes fluttered open again, this time as she properly awoke. She stretched out, arching her back like a cat and then settled back down with a soft sigh of contentment.

'Happy birthday,' Harry said quietly, causing her to jump slightly; she obviously hadn't realised that he was awake.

'How did you know?' she asked in a whisper.

Harry just grinned at her. 'Secret,' he told her. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he tapped her on the nose with a finger. Surprise sparked in her eyes briefly, then she growled.

'I'll get you for that, Potter,' she threatened.

'No you won't,' Harry said angelically. 'Because if you try…I'll do this!'

And with that he attacked her ribs unmercifully with his fingertips. He had discovered early in her stay at Privet Drive that Ginny was horribly ticklish. Her squeals pierced the silence of the common room, and Harry was distracted briefly when Ron started in surprise, toppling off his couch and pulling Hermione after him. The latter's indignant snort of protest was drowned out by Ginny, who had by now herself fallen off the couch. Harry launched himself after her as she tried to crawl away, flipping her over and pinning her beneath him, arms held above her head. Harry's triumphant grin faltered when he saw Ginny's face. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her face was tinged red, and her eyes were wide. There was an inherent question in those brown orbs, and Harry found himself drowning in their depths.

'Oi!' Ron's voice shattered the moment, and Harry looked away from Ginny quickly. Ron was standing next to Hermione now, wearing a smirk from ear to ear. Hermione also had a pleased smile.

'When you two are done _playing_,' Harry felt his face going red at the not-so-subtle innuendo implicit in Ron's choice of words, 'we have presents to give and some missing students to find.' He indicated the couch where Neville and Luna usually slept, and Harry was somewhat surprised to see it empty. He couldn't help but match Ron's smirk.

'Do you mind?' Ginny asked playfully, bringing her leg up and kicking Harry lightly in the back. He realised with a start that he still had her pinned to the floor, and leapt off her so fast he tripped and fell flat on his face in front of the fire.

Ron and Ginny burst out laughing, and Hermione was trying very hard not to smile as she helped him up. Harry's face was by now the colour of a ripe tomato, and he was extremely grateful to Ginny when she changed the subject.

'So, what was this you mentioned about presents?' she asked casually, a playful smirk crossing her lips.

'Oh, I didn't mean from me,' he assured her innocently. 'I just thought your boyfriend would have bought you something.' That little comment earned him a cushion to the face from Harry.

'Seriously though,' Hermione handed Ginny a carefully wrapped present that was obviously a book. 'Happy Birthday, Ginny.'

'Thanks, Hermione,' she said gratefully.

'Yeah, Harry…I mean, _Happy_ Birthday,' Ron grinned, ducking a second cushion from Harry's direction.

'Oh, I got you a present,' Harry assured her when her gaze turned to him. 'But you'll have to find it first.'

That turned out to be a mistake. Harry's friends immediately began tearing the common room apart looking for the present. Hermione eventually found it, hidden under a table (which she had just blown in two with a well placed Reductor Curse).

Harry blinked at the wholesale destruction of the common room. 'Remind me not to do that again,' he muttered.

Ginny took the unmarked box containing her new broom from Hermione, glancing curiously at Harry.

'Go on,' he urged her as Hermione magically repaired the table.

Slowly, Ginny opened the box. As she caught a glimpse of it's contents her face went pale.

'Harry…' she breathed, reverently drawing the Lightningbolt from its box. Ron gaped at it, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

'That's an _international_ standard broom,' he said in awe, obviously overlooking that Harry's own Firebolt was also an international standard broom. Hermione just beamed at Harry.

'I can't accept this,' Ginny said, making to slide the broom back into the box.

'You can and you will,' Harry said firmly, taking hold of her wrist and pulling the broom from the box, which he threw into a corner. 'I want you to have it.'

'Harry –'

'No buts,' he said, quirking a smile. 'If you're going to make the team this year, you'll need a good broom.'

Her eyes filled with tears suddenly, and she enveloped Harry in a hug. She tried to speak several times, but no words would come out. Harry stroked her hair softly, his heart strangely uplifted as she clung to him.

'You're welcome,' he whispered into her ear. She pulled away from him, a massive smile on her face.

'You shouldn't have,' she said firmly.

'I did anyway,' he said, his own smile almost as wide as hers.

Ron cleared his throat pointedly, and Harry stepped away from her, raising his wand and saying, '_Accio Firebolt!_' His own broom came flying down the dorm stairs, coming to a stop in front of Harry.

'Care for a quick morning fly?' he asked, gripping the handle of his Firebolt with his right hand and extending his left to Ginny.

'I'd love to,' Ginny took his hand in her own, and the two made their way from Gryffindor Tower, completely ignoring Ron and Hermione, who watched them leave with expressions of amusement and happiness, respectively.

'They're very good for each other,' Hermione said after they had vanished through the portrait hole.

'Yeah,' Ron agreed. 'I know. Harry's barely been thinking about Sirius at all. I thought he'd be really broody again, like he was after Cedric last year. But he hasn't been, has he? I figure if Ginny can distract him enough that he doesn't spend all his time moping, that's got to be a good thing.'

Hermione looked at Ron affectionately. 'You know, that may be one of the most mature things I've heard you say.'

Ron flushed at the compliment, and offered his hand to Hermione as Harry had done to Ginny. Smiling, she took it, and they also left the common room, although _not_ headed for the Quidditch pitch.

========

As soon as Harry and Ginny reached the Quidditch stadium, Ginny was in the air. She let out a whoop of delight as she tore from one end of the pitch to the other at insane speeds, only to loop around the goal posts and blow back past Harry in the other direction. For a few moments, Harry just admired her from the ground. Her hair flowed loosely behind her as she ripped up and down the pitch, and her face wore an exultant expression not unlike the look Harry himself wore in the few photographs he had seen of himself flying. She did a loop the loop of sheer joy and came to rest up side down in front of Harry, their noses almost touching.

'Coming?' she asked cheekily. Harry smirked and launched himself into the air, his broom carrying him effortlessly high above the pitch. Ginny followed, now wearing a dreamy smile.

'Now this is what flying is supposed to be like,' she said, doing a slow horizontal twirl in the air as she pulled alongside him.

'Absolutely,' Harry agreed. He squinted speculatively towards the castle. 'Race you to Greenhouse 3!' He flipped his broom around and tore off, leaving Ginny to turn and chase him. He beat her to the greenhouse by a good few metres, but then she raced off towards Hagrid's cabin, laughing as he rocketed after her. Harry's Firebolt was marginally faster, but Ginny's Lightningbolt could turn better, owing to the need for Chasers to be able to intercept other players.

They flew for a couple of hours, eventually just gliding side by side over the castle. Neither spoke much, just enjoyed each other's company. It was something Harry couldn't really do with either of his best friends; Ron was always looking for something to do, and Hermione was usually reading or studying. To just spend time with someone, without actually doing anything, was very pleasant.

As they did a lazy spiral of the Astronomy Tower, Ginny broke the silence. 'You shouldn't have done this,' she murmured so quietly that Harry almost didn't hear her. 'It must have cost a fortune.'

'Yes,' Harry said sadly. 'The Black family fortune.'

Ginny wisely chose not to comment. She knew the pain of Sirius' death was still fresh on his mind, and also knew that the broom was Harry's way of thanking her for what she had done to help him forget. It wasn't really necessary, but if it made Harry feel better, who was she to complain?

A/N: I wanted to include a Weasley Party for Ginny, but the chapter kind of ran away from me a bit. Review and tell me if you want one in the next chapter, and if enough people want it, I'll write one. Otherwise, the next chapter will be the start of term. Either way.

Ye gads, this chapter was fun to write, and is probably my favorite so far. No idea where that bit with Ginny talking in her sleep came from…I swear, this story is writing itself. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens as much as you are! So much for my plan… JM


	10. Of Meetings and Greetings

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Greetings from sunny, warm New South Wales! Well, not really, but it seems that way after Victoria. Erm…yeah. On with the chapter!

The majority of the Weasley family arrived at Hogwarts later that day, and they held a party for Ginny in the Gryffindor common room. Even McGonagall attended briefly, although Snape was not to be seen. No one even thought to invite him.

September 1 was on them almost before they realised. At about nine o'clock, Professor Milton came into the Gryffindor common room holding a battered old boot.

'Portkey,' he explained at the confused looks that greeted him. 'Dumbledore's decided that you have to catch the train with everyone else. Let's not give away the fact that you spent the last month at Hogwarts.'

So it was that they found themselves standing on Platform nine and three quarters later that day amid a flock of Hogwarts students. All six wore their Hogwarts robes, and Ron and Hermione had their Prefect's badges pinned to the front. Harry had been pleased to learn that Ginny had not been made a Prefect, although he immediately felt ashamed for thinking so. She seemed to catch his mood and grinned.

'Remember in your fourth year, that time the Slytherin's robes all turned pink at breakfast?'

Harry remembered the day well. It had been not long after the first task, and the entire hall had been falling off their chairs laughing at the Slytherins, who had rather quickly departed the hall.

'I charmed the benches,' Ginny said casually, and Harry laughed.

'That explains a lot,' he said, returning her grin. 'You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face in Transfiguration that day when McGonagall asked him if he was the one that started the new trend. I swear, he looked about ready to slide under the desk. That or try to strangle McGonagall.'

Ginny laughed, and they moved off towards the train, looking for a free compartment with Neville and Luna trailing after. Ron and Hermione had disappeared to the Prefect's car.

They found a compartment near the back of the train and climbed in. Soon after, the train began to move. Harry and Ginny chatted about the upcoming Quidditch trials which Harry, as the new Captain, would be in charge of. The position had fallen to him by default; as the only player with more than two years on the team, he was the only one qualified. He had a hell of a job ahead of him; he needed to fill all three Chaser positions, as Angelina, Katie and Alicia had all left at the end of last year, although he had a pretty good idea who would be getting one of the places. While not as good as Angelina, Ginny was still very good, especially with her new broom.

It began to rain, a soft, silvery drizzle that obscured anything more than a few feet from the windows. The lunch trolley came past, and Harry deliberately bought far more than he needed and then insisted on sharing some with Ginny, proclaiming that he was full. She looked at him suspiciously, but didn't comment, even when he started stuffing his face with Chocolate Frogs.

Eventually Ron and Hermione arrived.

'What a bloody nightmare,' Ron sighed, flopping down onto a seat.

'Ron,' Hermione said reprovingly, seating herself with a little more dignity.

'Well it is,' he protested. 'They've doubled everyone's shifts,' Ron explained. 'And – get this – they've made it a rule that every Prefect has to go to the DA meetings.'

Harry's face hardened. 'Even…'

'Yep,' Ron scowled. 'Malfoy.'

'Wonderful,' Harry sighed, slumping into his seat. 'That's the last thing I need.'

'So nice to be appreciated, Potter.'

Malfoy stood in the doorway, scowling down at Harry. For once, he was not flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

'Sod off, Malfoy,' Harry said shortly.

'Watch your tongue, Potter,' Malfoy said blandly. 'I'm still a Prefect, you know.'

'Well, so are we,' Hermione said testily.

'Oh yes, Potter's faithful little Mudblood,' Malfoy sneered. Harry saw Ron's jaw clench and his hand tighten into a fist.

'I'm warning you, Malfoy,' Harry said quietly. 'Leave now.'

'Or what, Potter?' Malfoy smirked. 'You'll set the Weasel and the Mudblood on me? Or maybe the Weaselette?'

That did it. Harry was on his feet in an instant, eyes blazing with green fire. His fist clenched in the front of Malfoy's robes, and with apparent ease he lifted the other boy off the floor.

'If you ever, _ever_ insult my friends again, I'll kill you myself,' Harry snarled, his face inches from a now very scared looking Malfoy. 'Do you understand?'

Malfoy nodded quickly, his silver eyes wide. Harry could almost smell the fear rolling off the platinum haired boy, and it seemed deeply satisfying.

'Harry,' Ginny placed her hand on his shoulder gently. 'Put him down.'

The fire in Harry's eyes dimmed, and he shook himself slightly. With a look of disgust he shoved Malfoy out of the compartment and slammed the door, rattling the walls and windows.

He turned to find everyone staring at him. 'What?' he snapped.

'Hey,' Ron raised one hand as if to defend himself. 'We're your friends, remember?'

Harry glared at him for a few seconds, then sighed and flopped back into his seat. 'Sorry,' he apologised. 'But Malfoy…' He couldn't find words to describe how he felt, so settled for shrugging.

'How did you do that?' Neville was looking at him with awe.

'Do what?' Harry asked.

'Harry, you lifted him about a foot off the ground.'

'Did I?' Harry looked around in surprise. 'I thought I just grabbed him.'

'Nope, there was definitely lifting involved,' Ron confirmed.

'Huh,' Harry glanced at the door, and noticed a large crack running through the wood in the frame where he had slammed the door. He clenched his fist a few times experimentally; he didn't _feel_ any stronger. He mentally shrugged. He _had_ had a growth spurt over the summer; he was bound to be a bit stronger than he was before. But strong enough to lift Malfoy off the ground with one hand?

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open again. Harry turned to snap at Malfoy but stopped short when he saw who it was.

'Can I have a word with you, Harry?' Cho Chang asked uncertainly, glancing around the compartment. Ron was looking at her with open hostility, and Hermione wasn't much different, although she tried to hide it. Ginny was glaring daggers at the older girl, and as Harry stood up, he found her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

'Sure, Cho,' he said aloud, releasing Ginny's hand and following Cho out the door and down the corridor a short way.

'Harry,' Cho hesitated, her eyes clearly showing how uncomfortable she was. 'I'm…sorry about everything that happened last year. Between us, I mean. And…I'd like to try again, if you do.'

Harry looked at the girl who he now thought of as only mildly attractive; he had long since gotten over his crush on her. She looked at him hopefully, and seemed to be holding her breath. Finally, Harry shook his head.

'I'm sorry, Cho,' he said, and genuinely meant it. 'It could never work between us. There's too much…baggage. I'm sorry.' And without another word he turned and walked away, leaving a stricken Cho shaking with silent tears in the middle of the corridor.

He re-entered the compartment to five questioning stares. Even Luna was watching him curiously. He sat back down, his head lowered.

It was Ginny who finally broke the silence. 'Harry,' she started uncertainly.

'I've already told you, Gin,' he said firmly. 'Cho and I could never work.'

His words broke the tension as everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, which amused Harry considerably. Ginny hesitantly edged closer to him, finally laying her head on his shoulder. His arm went around her waist, and it stayed there as Ron challenged him to a game of chess. It was a bit awkward to play with his left hand, but he didn't mind.

The drizzle turned into real rain as they got closer to Hogwarts, and the lights came on all along the train. Harry was playing his third game of chess against Ron (he had lost the first two rather spectacularly) when the door slid open again, and two people walked in, a boy and a girl. They looked so similar that Harry was sure they were twins. Both had long black hair coming to just below their shoulders, the same bright blue eyes, and they were even the same height. They seemed to be about the same age as Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'Harry Potter, we presume?' the boy said, bowing flamboyantly in Harry's direction.

'Yes,' Harry said cautiously.

'Allow us to introduce ourselves,' the girl said. 'I'm Cassandra,' she curtsied gracefully, although her cheeky smile ruined the effect somewhat.

'And I'm Alexander,' the boy bowed again, wearing an identical grin.

'Umm…okay,' Harry said uncertainly.

Cassandra sighed. 'He's no fun,' she said to her twin.

'Father said his father was a Marauder,' Alexander shrugged.

'Hard to believe,' Cassandra commented, her eyes twinkling.

'Quite,' Alexander said, his eyes also twinkling.

Harry shook his head to clear it. Whatever else they were, they were confusing. 'Excuse me, but what do you want, exactly?'

Alexander laughed. 'Sorry about that,' he apologised, sliding into the seat next to Ron, who gaped at him.

'Couldn't resist,' Cassandra agreed, sliding into the seat next to Harry.

'Seriously though,' Alexander said, 'call me Alex.'

'And me Cassie,' Cassandra added.

'Okay,' Harry said resignedly.

They both laughed. 'You're about as much fun as a wet blanket,' Alex said with a smirk.

'Father said you were quick on your feet,' Cassie added, then sighed theatrically. 'So much for that theory.'

'Who's your father again?' Hermione asked, obviously nonplussed with the twin's abrupt arrival.

'I'd thought that would be obvious by now,' Alex commented.

'You do know him,' Cassie added.

Harry looked closely at Alex, who grinned back at him. There was something about the eyes, and the shape of the jaw, that reminded him of someone.

'You look a little like Professor Milton,' he said slowly. 'But he's much too young, you're what, sixteen?'

'It's impolite to speculate about a lady's age, Harry,' Cassie said lightly.

'Good thing you're not a lady, then,' Alex grinned at her.

'Quite,' she agreed.

'Anyway, he's older than he looks,' Alex said.

Suddenly Hermione was looking at him intently. 'Is James Milton his real name?'

Alex shook his head with a smirk.

'What about Joseph Milter?' she asked triumphantly.

'Oh you're good,' Cassie said admiringly.

'Huh?' Ron was clearly confused, and Harry didn't blame him.

'Joseph Milter was a Mind Mage in the service of Grindelwald,' Luna supplied. 'He disappeared when Dumbledore killed Grindelwald, and hasn't been heard of since.' Hermione looked slightly offended at the Ravenclaw girl's butting in.

'Not quite,' Alex said.

'He changed his name and hid out for a while,' Cassie told them.

Alex nodded. 'About twenty years ago he started moving around again as a mercenary, providing his services to the highest bidder.'

'Until he met our mum,' Cassie finished.

Harry blinked.

'He's even slower that we thought,' Alex commented to his sister, who nodded solemnly.

'Not much hope for the Wizarding world then, is there?'

'Hey!' Harry said indignantly, and both twins laughed.

'Sorry,' Alex grinned.

'Slip of the tongue,' Cassie agreed.

'Well,' Alex stood and offered his hand to his sister, who used it to pull herself up, 'now that we have you thoroughly confused, we'll take our leave. We'll look for you once we get sorted into Gryffindor.'

'Bye,' Harry said weakly as they left the compartment.

'What was that about?' Ron asked in bafflement.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. 'Honestly, Ron! It means that Professor Milton used to work for Grindelwald!'

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A/N: I love doing that. Full points to anyone who saw that coming. ;)

Next chapter: The Sorting, of course!


	11. Sorting Problems

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: When it comes to poetry, I have all the imaginary capabilities of a tree stump. Consequently, there will be no Sorting Hat song in this chapter, unless anyone has one they would let me use.

By the time the Hogwart's Express pulled into Hogsmeade station the rain was heavier than ever. Harry leapt from the carriage onto the platform before turning and helping Ginny down. She raised an eyebrow at his unnecessary attempt to be chivalrous but didn't comment. He _was_ a Gryffindor, after all.

Hagrid bellowed something to Harry, but his words were lost over the combined din of the rain and students. Harry waved anyway, watching as the half giant herded the first years down towards the lake.

They raced towards the "horseless" carriages, Harry barely looking at the Thestrals hitched between the shafts. They climbed in quickly, the six of them barely fitting in before the door snapped closed and the carriage began to move. Harry sank back into the leather clad seat, his mind more on the Opening Feast to come than his current surroundings. He gazed out the window, watching as Hogwarts came into view. The carriages passed through the main gates flanked by the winged boars, and as they turned up the curved path, Harry glanced back in time to see the gates swing shut after the last carriage. He was sure he imagined it, but he could have sworn he heard a sullen clang as the gates came together.

The carriages slowed to a stop in front of the castle, and the students scrambled up the steps and into the Entrance Hall. Somewhere along the way they got separated from Luna, who took a place at the Ravenclaw table. The remaining five hurried to the Gryffindor table, thoroughly soaked.

'Bloody hell!' Ron said, trying to wring some of the water out of his robes. 'This is ridiculous!'

'At least there's no Peeves waiting in the Entrance Hall with water balloons this year,' Harry remarked.

'True,' Ron granted, taking off his shoes and socks and wringing the soggy fabric out.

By the time everyone was seated Hagrid had entered the hall and taken his seat, and soon after McGonagall led the terrified looking first years into the hall.

After the odd encounter on the train, Harry couldn't help but glance at Professor Milton. He was startled to find him staring back, one eyebrow raised slightly and a small smile on his face. The Professor nodded almost imperceptibly and winked at Harry, who smiled weakly and turned to look at the Sorting Hat, which had just been placed at the front of the hall.

The song was similar to last year's, warning the houses to stand together and not segregate. Harry glanced at the Slytherin table to see most of them sniggering amongst themselves, obviously dismissing the hat's warning. A few were looking speculatively around the hall at the other tables, and more were staring at the Gryffindor table, or more specifically, at Harry. He met a few sets of eyes and tried to smile encouragingly, although few of his smiles were returned.

'When I call your names, please sit on the stool and place the hat on your head,' McGonagall was saying, Harry turned his attention to the front of the hall, where the long line of first years was shifting nervously.

'This better be quick,' Ron said. 'I'm starved.'

'When are you not starved?' Hermione asked pointedly.

'Good point,' Ron admitted.

'Ashlin, Bradley!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

As the sorting continued, Harry noticed that a lot more students were being sorted into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff than Slytherin; in fact, Slytherin only had about three new students by the time McGonagall had reached the letter 'S'.

'Settler, Lisa!'

Lisa was a tall girl (for a first year) with long black hair and a very nervous expression. She made her way carefully over to the stool and sat, gingerly placing the hat on her head.

'SLYTHERIN!'

Lisa removed the hat, staring blankly at the Slytherin table.

'Go on, dear,' McGonagall urged.

Lisa's lip trembled, and suddenly she burst into tears. The hall broke into whispers as two Slytherin seventh year girls hurried up to the crying girl and led her to a place at the Slytherin table. Harry glanced at Snape; his sneer didn't quite reach his eyes, and Harry could tell that he was concerned.

'Don't blame her,' Ron whispered to Harry. 'If I was sorted into Slytherin, I'd feel the same.'

'Ron!' Hermione hissed.

'Well I would,' Ron said defensively as McGonagall called out the next name.

'Most of the Slytherins aren't so bad,' Ginny said, her eyes still on Lisa Settler, who was being comforted by the two seventh years and their friends.

Ron was about to reply, but Hermione shushed him as Dumbledore stood.

'Well then,' Dumbledore said, his eyes sweeping the hall. 'This year we are privileged to have two students joining us from the Melbourne Institute of Magic in Australia. Please give a warm Hogwarts welcome for Alexander and Cassandra Milton!'

The twins entered through the same door that McGonagall had brought the hat through. There was a light smattering of applause as they made their way across the hall to where McGonagall stood. She nodded at Alex, who sat on the stool with a cocky grin and slid the hat onto his head.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

Alex stood, handing the hat to his sister, who was wearing the same grin as she placed the hat on her head.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

The Gryffindor table broke into applause as the twins made their way to where Harry and his friends were sitting.

'Told you,' Cassie said smugly as they sat.

Dumbledore waited until the Hall was relatively quiet before speaking again. 'Now that the Sorting is out of the way, I think it is time for us to eat!' He clapped his hands sharply, and the tables groaned under the sudden weight of food.

'Finally!' Ron piled his plate high, sighing happily as he began to eat.

Hermione looked over at Harry. 'You noticed, didn't you?'

He didn't have to ask what she meant. Slytherin had a total of four new student this year; each of the other houses had at least twelve. 'Not really surprising, is it? Everyone knows that Voldemort was a Slytherin.'

Ron, who had barely flinched at the Dark Lord's name, swallowed and nodded. 'Reckon the Slytherins will get it pretty hard this year, too. Not that they all deserve it,' he added hastily as Ginny glared at him. 'But I can't really feel sorry for Malfoy, you know?'

'Yeah, I know,' Ginny sighed pensively. 'But that little girl doesn't deserve it, does she?'

Harry glanced at the girl again, who was now smiling at something one of the seventh year's had said. 'No, she doesn't.'

'Something we missed?' Alex asked quizzically.

'Some girl cried when she was sorted into Slytherin,' Ron said with a shrug. 'Can't say I blame her. Ouch!' Ron rubbed the back of his head where Ginny had just whacked him. 'What was that for?'

'Sometimes you have all the sensitivity of a tree stump,' Hermione said, glaring at him.

'But…' Ron looked pleadingly at Hermione, who turned away from him. 'Bloody hell.'

Cassie smirked at him. 'Not quite the right thing to say, Ron,' she chuckled.

Finally the remaining food disappeared and Dumbledore stood.

'Welcome all to another year at Hogwarts!' He spread his arms wide to encompass the entire hall as there was another light smattering of applause. 'Firstly, a few start of term notices.'

'You will be pleased to learn that we have yet another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year.' There was some laughter from the older students at that. 'Professor Milton.'

James stood and bowed slightly ironically as Alex and Cassie booed, identical smirks on their faces.

'Thank you, the Milton family,' Dumbledore murmured. More laughter from the hall.

'Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you all that magic is not allowed in the halls between classes,' Dumbledore continued, 'and that the Forbidden Forest is called that for a reason.' He glanced meaningfully at Hermione, who blushed.

'Quidditch trials will be held during the second week of term. Please see your house captain for details.'

Most of the Gryffindor table turned to look at Harry, who was painfully aware of the scarlet and gold badge pinned to his robes. He had noticed similar badges pinned to both Malfoy and Cho's robes, in their own house colours, although he didn't know who the Hufflepuff captain was.

'Also, this year I am pleased to announce the formation of an optional class for third years and above, to be taught by Mister Potter.' Harry's head jerked up and he stared incredulously at Dumbledore. Most of the students, on the other hand, were now staring at _him_. 'This class will cover practical methods of defense, such as dueling, fencing, and advanced defensive spells. Professor Milton and a Ministry appointed Auror will aid Mister Potter. Please note that this class is _not_ optional for Prefects.'

Harry stared at Dumbledore, mouth hanging open. Ginny giggled and pushed his jaw closed with one hand.

'Bloody hell,' Ron said, looking around the hall at the students now staring at Harry. Malfoy looked like he had been forced to swallow Stinksap, while most of the other students looked either surprised or skeptical. The members of the DA from last year were looking around with pride.

'He got me an 'O' in Defense Against the Dark Arts,' Ernie Macmillan could be heard telling his fellow Hufflepuffs.

'He didn't tell me it was a class,' Harry said with barely suppressed fury. 'I thought it was just going to be a club, like last year!'

'Well, there's not really that much difference,' Hermione said bracingly.

'There's all the difference!' Ron objected. 'It's not like a student has ever taught a class before, have they? This'll just make it even worse for Harry!'

Hermione bit her lip. 'Well…'

'Cheer up Harry,' Alex said with a grin. 'We'll protect you from the swarms of girls throwing themselves at you and knocking on your door at all hours.' Cassie nodded solemnly.

'Thanks,' Harry said sourly.

All around them students were standing to leave the hall; Dumbledore had obviously dismissed the students. Harry stood and resolutely walked to the head table, ignoring the calls of his friends. He spotted Dumbledore still sitting at his place at the head table, obviously waiting for Harry.

'What are you doing?' he hissed at the headmaster.

'I believe we need to discuss this tomorrow, Harry,' Dumbledore said calmly. 'Believe me, there is a very good reason for what I did, and I will tell you everything if you will come to my office after breakfast.'

'Fine,' Harry said shortly. He turned and stormed away, students melting from his path as he left the Great Hall. He was halfway to Gryffindor Tower when Ginny finally caught him.

'Harry!' she grabbed his arm, doubling over as she fought to regain her breath from her sprint up through three floors. 'What'd he say?'

'He didn't say anything,' Harry said, anger still tingeing his voice. Ginny straightened and released his arm.

'He should have told you before making that sort of announcement,' she said with a glare in the general direction of the great hall that made three Ravenclaw second years who happened to be coming up the stairs scurry away.

'Yeah, well,' Harry started walking again. 'Since when does he ever talk to me about anything important?'

'I'll come with you tomorrow morning,' Ginny said firmly. 'I've a few things to say to our illustrious Headmaster.' She glared at the Fat Lady so intensely that she quailed and opened without the password.

'Hey, that Weasley temper does have it's uses,' Harry attempted humour as they climbed through into the common room. Ginny's lips twisted into a half smile. 'That's better. Seriously though, it's not so bad.'

'It is,' Ginny said sharply. 'I think Professor Dumbledore needs a quick wake up call.' Harry glanced at the redhead beside him, and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Dumbledore.

A/N: Next chapter: Dumbledore gets yelled at (oh goody!) and the long awaited first DADA class!


	12. Romance And Redheads

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! A spelling mistake! I'm melting, MELTING! ARGHHHHHHH!

Ahem, now that that's over with, HAHA! All fixed! So there!

Anyway, enough insanity. I have another Aussie reading! G'day Blue Firefly!_ What the hell are you on, it should be Brisbane? Melbourne is the best city in the world, everyone knows that (course, that could just be because I'm a Melbournian. Bleh). Do you follow the Rugby? We KILLED ENGLAND! 51-15! Muahahahahaha! Teach them to beat us by one bloody point in the World Cup Final! Stupid bloody poms...whoops! Did I say that out loud?_

_WARNING: Fluff Alert!_

Harry awoke very early the next morning and was surprised to find himself in his own bed. He had grown so used to sleeping in the common room with the others that it felt very strange to be back in the dorms. There was another thing missing, of course: Ginny's presence. He felt a pang of loss that he couldn't quite explain as he looked down and saw nothing where usually Ginny's head rested on his chest.

He thought back briefly to the first morning he had found her sleeping there. It had been strange, sure, but nice at the same time. Physical contact wasn't something that he was big on, but with Ginny he found himself constantly wishing that he could touch her face, or hold her hand, but he was usually far too nervous.

He sighed softly, opening the hangings around his bed. Dim starlight filtered through the window, augmented by a half moon. He flipped back the covers and climbed out of bed, wincing when his feet encountered the cold stone. He dressed quietly to avoid waking the others, momentarily confused to find there were now six beds instead of five until he remembered Alex.

As early as he was, however, Ginny was earlier. He found her sitting in the common room on their couch, staring moodily into the fire and absently hugging a pillow.

'Couldn't sleep?' Harry asked quietly, sitting beside her. She jumped, the pillow spilling onto the floor.

'Harry,' she scolded lightly. 'Don't sneak up on me like that.' She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He tilted his head to rest lightly upon hers. They were silent for a long while as dawn stained the horizon with a faint orange glow. Harry was forcibly reminded of his time at Privet Drive before Ginny's arrival, when he had watched the sun rising every morning and waited for Hedwig to arrive with letters from his friends.

'This is nice,' Ginny said finally, snapping Harry's mind back to the present.

'Yeah,' he said helpfully.

Ginny giggled. 'Seriously,' she said, reaching around and playfully slapping him on his free shoulder. 'I used to think that I'd never even get to know you, because I couldn't string a coherent sentence together whenever you were around. Then the Chamber happened…' She trailed off, her eyes distant. 'It was even worse after that, because you'd saved me.'

Harry didn't know what to say to that. His hand found hers, and he squeezed it tightly.

'And then last year…' Ginny's voice trailed off again, and Harry glanced down at her face. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the tears that threatened to escape.

'Hey,' Harry said gently, catching her chin in one hand. He turned her head so she faced him; her eyes were open now.

'I don't think you realise just how much you did for me when you came to stay,' Harry said, his eyes searching hers. 'When Sirius…' He hesitated, all his suppressed feelings threatening to overwhelm him. He took a deep breath and continued somewhat shakily. 'When Sirius died, I didn't think I could go on. It was like…' He thought a moment, but couldn't put his feelings into words, so settled on shrugging. 'It nearly killed me.' He smiled wryly. 'I nearly killed Dumbledore when he tried to talk to me about it.'

Ginny's eyes were wide, and her lips parted slightly. Harry found himself drawn into those bottomless brown pools, and almost automatically his head tilted forwards, even as Ginny's eyes widened in shock and recognition. They were so close Harry could see the flecks of gold through those brown eyes. Her head tilted back as their lips touched…

A loud crash made them fly apart as if they had been electrocuted. Ginny's cheeks were flushed with the trademark Weasley blush, and Harry imagined he wasn't much better.

'Interrupting something, am I?'

Right at that moment, Harry felt an almost overwhelming urge to strangle Alex. 'Of course not,' he managed to stammer, fighting to control his homicidal impulses. Ginny seemed to sense his inner fight, perhaps because she shared it.

'We were just trying to decide whether or not to go to breakfast,' she said pointedly, although her rosy blush gave her away.

'Uh huh,' Alex was obviously trying not to smirk, and failing miserably. 'Well then, I'll leave you to it.' He winked at Harry and left through the portrait hole.

Harry let out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding. He sat awkwardly next to Ginny, trying valiantly to decide what to do next. 'Ginny, I'm –'

'If you apologise for that, I'll never forgive you,' Ginny warned. Harry's mouth snapped shut.

'Umm…okay,' he said.

Ginny ran a hand through her hair, unconsciously shifting away from Harry a bit. 'We should probably go to breakfast,' she said finally.

'Right,' he agreed, as Parvati and Lavender descended the stairs from the girl's dorms, giggling as they saw Harry and Ginny together. Hermione wasn't far behind, and Harry leapt at the chance to put a little distance between he and the youngest Weasley, smoothly inserting Hermione in between them as they went to breakfast. Hermione looked shrewdly between them, taking in their mutual blushes and uncomfortable expressions, and broke into a smile.

========

All through breakfast Ginny kept sneaking glances at Harry, both blushing whenever their eyes met. Hermione was no help; she just kept smiling. Finally Ron arrived, and he was even worse. He took one look at both Harry and Ginny and burst out laughing.

'What?' Ginny snapped, her face colouring even more.

'Nothing,' Ron said innocently, taking a seat next to Hermione.

Ginny muttered something under her breath.

'What was that?' Cassie asked, coming to stand behind the red head.

'Nothing,' Ginny shook her head.

Sensing that this wasn't going to get any better, Harry decided to rescue her. 'Come on Ginny,' he said, standing and extending his hand to her. She looked up at him incredulously as Ron snickered. 'We have a meeting with the Headmaster,' Harry reminded her. She nodded quickly and took his hand, pulling herself to her feet. The two left the great hall, ignoring the whispers generated by their joined hands. Quite deliberately, Harry glanced back, caught Ron's eyes, and winked.

'You did that deliberately,' Ginny accused him as they climbed the marble staircase, although she didn't remove her hand from his.

'Yep,' he admitted, swinging their linked hands forward and back with a smirk. Ginny laughed.

'Oh well,' she said resignedly. 'I suppose I could do worse.'

'Thanks,' said Harry, 'I think.'

Ginny giggled as they arrived at the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Harry's mood darkened as he saw it, as he remembered his reason for being here. Ginny seemed to sense his mood change and squeezed his hand briefly before releasing it.

It was only now that Harry realised he didn't know the password.

'Erm…' He was about to start guessing when the gargoyle sprang aside and revealed the moving staircase.

'That was easy,' he muttered to Ginny as they rose up to the door at the top of the stairs. Harry knocked, and the door swung open automatically.

'Good to see you, Harry,' Dumbledore greeted, indicating a squashy armchair set in front of the desk. 'Please sit.' He hesitated when he saw Ginny. 'Miss Weasley, would you mind –'

'She stays,' Harry cut him off. A look of surprise flitted across his face, then he nodded.

'As you wish,' he said, creating another chair with his wand, which rotated briefly on the spot and then dropped with a thud next to the first. Harry and Ginny took their seats, and Harry gave the headmaster a flat unfriendly stare. Ginny was about to speak but Harry placed one finger gently to her lips, silencing her.

'Explain,' he said shortly.

'Harry,' Dumbledore said disapprovingly. 'Regardless of our personal relationship, I am still Headmaster of Hogwarts, and I would have you show appropriate respect.'

'Fine,' Harry snapped. 'Explain, _sir_.'

Dumbledore smiled faintly. 'Very well then, I see you are not to be swayed. In truth, I did what I did to help you.'

'Oh, _really_?' Ginny said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

'Yes,' Dumbledore said, clearly not bothered by her comment. 'By choosing to make your group a proper class as opposed to a club, I gave you executive rights within a classroom environment that are normally reserved for Professors.'

Harry looked at him blankly.

'In short, within your classes you will have all the authority of a Professor, such as the ability to assign appropriate punishments and give students instructions.'

'He can order students around, take points and give detentions,' Ginny summarized.

'More or less,' Dumbledore granted. 'This would probably not be necessary if you were a Prefect, as you would already have some limited authority. As things currently stand, you need to be on an equal or greater footing to the students in the class, and that means limited Professor status.'

'Alright,' Harry said finally. 'That's not so bad, I guess. The problem is that you didn't discuss this with me first.'

'Yes!' Ginny butted in, staring hard at Dumbledore. 'Harry's got enough on his plate already, he doesn't need surprises like this!'

'Miss Weasley…' Dumbledore started.

'No!' Ginny half shouted. 'You just don't get it, do you?' Her face was red again, this time from anger, not embarrassment. 'You have no idea what Harry has to go through! It was only the end of last year when everyone stopped thinking of him as a deranged mental case! All last year, people were doing everything short of spitting on him, but what did you do? Nothing! Umbridge spent the whole year putting him down, and punishing him for telling the truth!' She grabbed Harry's hand and turned it to face the Headmaster. Still faintly visible was a scar reading "I must not tell lies". 'Do you think this is acceptable?' she demanded, shaking Harry's hand rather violently. By now Harry was staring at her incredulously. He was almost as surprised as Dumbledore at her outburst. He had no idea she was this concerned, and it touched him deeply.

Dumbledore sighed, passing one hand wearily over his eyes. 'No I do not think it is acceptable,' he said finally.

'Well bloody do something about it!' Ginny half screamed.

He steepled his fingers and gazed at her from behind them as she glared at him from the other side of the desk. 'I know very well what Harry has had to go through, and I know very well exactly where the mistakes I made have forced events upon him. But I am doing everything in my power to prevent that from happening in the future.'

'Then talk to me,' Harry said quietly. 'Stop trying to make all my decisions for me. I'm a person, not a dog. I can think for myself, and I do have some good ideas occasionally.'

Dumbledore surveyed him for quite some time. 'You are right, of course. I apologise.' He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. When he opened them again, some of the twinkle had returned to his blue eyes. 'Very well Harry, I am willing to give it a try if you are.'

Harry extended his hand across the desk. 'Friends?'

'Friends,' Dumbledore said firmly, taking Harry's hand in his own and giving it a firm shake.

A/N: Muahahahaha! The obligatory interrupted first kiss. I can see those twins will come in very_ handy._

Okay, I was wrong. The first DADA class will be in the next_ chapter._


	13. Harry Teasing And Draco Wrapping

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

__

A/N: Greetings all once again! Sorry about the delay, but writers block clubbed me in the back of the head while I slept (don't you hate that?) Anywho, on with this great work we are in!

Oh, and I'm not telling you where the spelling mistake was. So nya. I fixed it, so don't bother looking.

Later that afternoon, Harry was wandering alone through the castle. He really hadn't had an opportunity to be alone since they had returned to Hogwarts, and with classes starting tomorrow he would have even less time to himself. He needed to be alone to think.

He was terrified of what had happened that morning in the common room. Had he really nearly kissed Ginny? At the time it had seemed like the most natural thing in the world, and yet now, in the clear light of day, he was mortified. How could he? What if she hated him now? But then she had stood up for him with Dumbledore, hadn't she?

Harry wanted to scream in frustration. What he really needed was a window into her head so he could see what she was thinking. That would make things _so_ much easier. But no, they had to make it _difficult_. He ran his hands through his hair absently, his mind still wrestling with the problem of the youngest Weasley as he entered the Charms corridor.

By the time he reached the Transfiguration corridor, four stories up and across the castle, he was still struggling. He eventually made his way down to the Entrance Hall, slipping out the main doors and into the grounds beyond. He wandered down to the shore of the lake, watching the giant squid gliding effortlessly across the surface. He sat down next to a tree, resting back against the trunk and staring unseeingly across the lake to the mountains beyond.

It was dusk before he moved again. The sun was setting behind the mountains, igniting the underside of the clouds to a brilliant orange red, reminding him sharply of the reason he was sitting alone on the shore of the lake. He shook his head ruefully, standing slowly and stretching his stiff limbs. It seemed that he was doomed to be constantly reminded of Ginny. He wasn't any clearer on his feelings about that morning; if anything he was more confused than ever.

He made his way back up to the castle, finding a steady stream of people heading for the Great Hall for dinner. He entered and made his way to the Gryffindor table, spotting Ginny and Neville sitting near the far end. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

'Where have you been all afternoon?' Ginny asked as he sat next to her.

'Thinking,' he said shortly, piling his plate with food.

'I see,' she looked at him shrewdly. 'What were you thinking about?'

'Can we talk later?' he asked, glancing at Neville and blushing slightly.

'It's okay Harry,' Neville said, standing quickly. 'I'm all finished here anyway. I have to meet Luna in the Library.' He left the hall.

'Well?' Ginny raised one eyebrow.

Harry buried his face in his hands. 'Bloody hell,' he muttered, then raised his head. 'I was thinking about you,' he answered finally.

'Good things, I hope,' she smirked.

'Stop that.'

'Not _too_ likely,' she grinned. 'So what were the conclusions you came to after your afternoon of brooding?'

'Thinking,' he corrected. 'And I didn't really come up with anything.'

'What a waste,' she sighed theatrically.

Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands again.

'Cheer up, Harry,' she rubbed his back lightly, and his stomach lurched.

'I don't think I'm hungry,' he said, standing abruptly.

'Oh sit down,' she yanked him back into his seat. 'I'm going now anyway.' She smiled at him as he stood. 'Don't think too much,' she said as she walked away. Near the doors she passed Alex and Cassie. They laughed at something she said and made a beeline for Harry as Ginny left the hall.

'Having problems, Harry?' Cassie asked sympathetically, placing one hand on his shoulder.

'We can help!' Alex dropped into the seat Ginny had vacated.

'Oh piss off,' Harry said, his voice muffled by his hands. The twins looked at each other and burst out laughing. None of them noticed a pair of dark eyes staring in their direction from the Ravenclaw table.

========

The following day was the first day of classes. McGonagall came around at breakfast and handed them all their class schedules.

'Double Defense first!' Hermione said brightly.

'Yay,' Alex and Cassie said together in a flat monotone.

Ron laughed. 'Come on, it can't be that bad.'

Twenty minutes later they were standing outside the Defense classroom. The door creaked open and Professor Milton's voice came from within the classroom. 'Enter.'

They filed in and took their seats. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the front row, while the twins had deviated to the very back. Harry scowled to see that the class was mixed Gryffindors and Slytherins. Malfoy smirked at him from the third row.

'Settle down, you lot,' Professor Milton ordered, then called the register. When he had finished, he came around to the front of his desk and stood facing them with his arms folded.

'Right then, first thing's first.' He raised one hand in front of his face and snapped his fingers. A small flame appeared on his opened palm, bobbing merrily in the slight breeze from the open window. Most of the class gasped, Alex and Cassie rolled their eyes and faked yawns.

'How did I do that?' James asked the stunned class. No one was particularly surprised when Hermione's hand shot up.

'You're a Mind Mage,' she answered promptly.

'And that means…?'

'A Mind Mage is a witch or wizard who can cast spells without the need of a wand to act as a channel for their magic. Their bodies are more attuned to magic than normal, so they can channel the magic energy to form spells without any external influence.' She said all this very quickly, and the whole class was staring at her by the time she had finished.

'I take it you earn your reputation as a walking encyclopaedia honestly,' James chuckled, and Hermione glowed. 'Right, now who can tell me the limitations of a Mind Mage?'

Hermione's hand shot up again, but James shook his head. 'Someone else this time if you don't mind, Miss Granger.'

Dean raised his hand, and James nodded at him. 'A Mind Mage can't cast spells that cause direct harm to another living thing,' he said.

'Correct! Ten points to each of you. For another ten points, can anyone tell me _why_ a Mind Mage can't cause harm?'

'Because they feel the spells they cast in themselves,' Seamus said from his place next to Dean.

'Excellent! Ten points,' James smiled at the class. 'A Mind Mage such as myself feels every spell they cast as it flows through the body. For most spells, such as what I did earlier,' he indicated the flame still burning on his palm, 'it's not much more than a tingle at the exit point, in this case my fingers. However, if I were to cast, say, the Cruciatus Curse, I would feel the pain I was intending on inflicting within myself. Which wouldn't be fun, I'm guessing.'

He smiled again then glanced at Neville, who was sitting in the second row, and turned away slowly. So quickly Harry could barely see what he was doing he pointed his suddenly flame-less hand at the round faced boy, snapped his fingers, and yelled, '_Stupefy!_'

Neville toppled sideways from his chair, Stunned. The whole class gaped at James, who walked over to the prone boy and awoke him with a muttered spell.

'That is the first, and possibly the most important, lesson I can teach you,' he said calmly as Neville looked around in shock. 'Never assume you are totally safe, even with people you know and trust.' He threw a guarded glance around the room. Suddenly James' left hand was pointing at Harry. '_Impedimentia!_'

Harry was ready; he leapt sideways out of his seat, narrowly avoiding the jet of red light which hit the floor behind him and left a small scorch mark.

James nodded. 'Much better,' was all he said, then made his way back to the front of the class. 'Periodically I will be testing your reflexes and awareness by sending a spell your way. It may be in class, or in a corridor around the school, or on the grounds. It is your job to be ready.'

'Well,' he slapped his hands together, 'now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, I want to test you all to see how far along you are, and what I'll need to teach you over the year.' He thought a moment, tapping two fingers against his chin. 'Dueling, I think. Alright then, I'll pair you up with someone and you can duel them, and I'll watch and evaluate you that way.'

He glanced at the register, his eyes stopping half way down. 'Potter and Malfoy first.'

Harry and Draco moved to the front of the room, the former scowling and the latter smirking. James motioned for the rest of the class to move to the back of the room, and when they had he banished the desks to one side with a wave of his hand.

'Nothing that will cause any permanent damage,' James warned the two as they drew their wands and took up dueling positions. 'If it can't be fixed in two minutes without the hospital wing, don't use it, got it?'

'Yes sir,' Harry said. Draco's smirk widened.

The two archrivals glared at each other from across the room. Finally Draco whipped his wand forwards. '_Expelliarmus!_'

'_Protego!_' Draco's disarming hex ricocheted off Harry's shield charm and almost hit Parvati, who dived out of the way.

The two exchanged hexes for a few minutes, neither really doing the other any damage. Suddenly Harry remembered the first time he had dueled Malfoy, and a smirk crossed his lips.

'_Serpensortia!_' A look of fear crossed Draco's face as a massive Anaconda unwound itself from Harry's wand. Several of the girls screamed as the fifty foot snake reared its head and looked at Harry.

'_Yes, master_?' it asked.

'_Bind him_,' Harry indicated Draco. '_Gently._'

'_With pleasure_,' the snake slithered towards Draco, who seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move as the snake curled it's upper half around the blond boy and held him. Malfoy's wand clattered to the ground.

'Very good Harry!' Professor Milton applauded, prompting the rest of the class to follow suit. All that could be seen of Malfoy was his eyes, which were wide with fear. And with good reason; the snake he was currently wound up in could kill him in a heartbeat.

'Lesson number two,' James turned to the class. 'Do not be afraid of using any talents you possess if it will mean victory, especially something as unique and special as Parseltongue,' he smiled warmly at Harry who felt a sudden surge of pride. He turned to go but Professor Milton cleared his throat. 'Harry? Malfoy?'

'Oh, right.' Harry turned to face the snake. '_You can let go now_,' he said politely. The snake complied, sliding down until it once again rested on the floor. Draco collapsed, breathing heavily as Crabbe and Goyle hurried forwards to drag him out of range of the snake. '_Thank you._'

'_My pleasure, Master_,' the snake performed a peculiar half bow in Harry's direction and vanished.

The class stared at Harry in shock as he made his way over to where Ron and Hermione were standing, both smiling widely.

'What was that?' Ron whispered. 'Did that snake just bow to you?'

'Yep,' Harry grinned as Professor Milton called Neville to duel with Blaise Zabini. The duel ended when Blaise was hit with a tripping hex and fell flat on his face, his wand skittering out of reach. It was quite impressive, really, the amount of progress Neville had made through last year's DA meetings.

'Well done Neville!' Harry said loudly, causing the other boy to blush and wave thanks.

Ron was partnered with Crabbe; that duel lasted for all of ten seconds when Ron hit Crabbe neatly in the stomach with a Stunner. Hermione dueled Millicent Bulstrode. Seeming to remember the end of last year when she had been flattened into a wall by the bigger Slytherin in Umbridge's office, Hermione was particularly vicious, toying with Bulstrode as the older girl fought vainly to retaliate. Finally growing bored, Hermione took her opponent down with one well placed Stunner.

'Very good, very good!' James praised them after the last duel had finished (Cassie against Pansy Parkinson, who was currently on the floor trying to stop the blood coming out her ears, eyes and nose). 'There's some room for improvement, but I think you'll all do very well this year.'

The bell rang soon after, and the trio left the room first, trailed by Neville and the twins.

__

A/N: I'm going to cut this chapter off here. Next chapter is going to continue on directly from this, but this one is long enough already.


	14. Of Snakes And Classes

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Does anyone have a chainsaw I can borrow? I need to destroy ff.net's mainframe for not letting me upload this chapter when I wanted to (which was right after the last chapter, by the way – it should have been a double update!). For some strange reason it will only let me access my account if I link from _gpotter_'s story Colours of the Forest (I tried EVERY other story on my favorites list, and that was the only one that worked...go figure)._

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own "A Guide To Hexes, Curses, and Spells: The How To, Where To, When To, And Why In Merlin's Name To_, By The Lord And Lady Hex_"_. _That particular piece of brilliance belongs to Saerry Snape, author of the "Not Myself" series Severitus Challenge fic, which currently spans all seven books, about 200 chapters and God knows how many words. If you haven't already, go read it! The Lord and Lady Hex are, of course, Slyth Harry and Niamh O'Feir respectively._

Dree: _That was NOT a spelling mistake! Hermione was just…erm… flowing thickly (WTF?). Alright, so it was a mistake. Bah! And yes, I realise that I spelled Parselmouth wrong! I don't have the second book to look it up! Grumble grumble…_

Anywho, enough insanity for one chapter (or maybe not…the twins are in this one…bah). Shut up, James, get on with it!

'That was awesome,' Ron said as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. 'I got to Stun Crabbe, right in front of a teacher! Pity he didn't put up a bit more of a fight, I suppose it must be difficult for a baboon to remember spells though.'

Harry laughed as they sat at the Gryffindor table. Ginny was already there; she smiled at Harry as he sat.

'How was it?' she asked casually.

The trio looked at each other, then smiled. 'Best Defense lesson ever,' Harry said firmly, then launched into the story of the duels. Ginny smirked when he told her of Draco's fate, and laughed aloud when Ron finished describing Hermione's torture session with Bulstrode.

'Serves her right,' she said, glancing sidelong at Ron who was watching Hermione with something very close to adoration in his expression. Ginny caught Harry's eyes, and winked at him. They all shared a laugh as Pansy entered the hall, a scowl on her face under heavy bandages. Apparently, Cassie's hex hadn't worn off yet.

'Good one,' Ginny giggled when Cassie explained what she had done to the Slytherin girl.

'S'cuse us a moment,' Alex said, motioning to his twin. Cassie grinned, and the two hurried off towards the Slytherin table.

'Alright Harry, spill,' Hermione ordered, her face alive with curiosity. 'How did you summon that Anaconda? That spell is only supposed to summon a common carpet snake.'

'Dunno, exactly,' Harry shrugged. 'I found out about it last year, when I was practicing for the DA one night. I wanted to see if I could do that spell, because I remembered Malfoy using it against me in second year at the Dueling club. When I cast the spell, the Anaconda kind of slithered out of the end of my wand, sat there on the floor and asked me if I wanted anything.' He shrugged again. 'Nice enough Anaconda, really, except that it insists on calling me "Master".'

'It was the same one?' Hermione asked, startled.

'Close as I could tell, yeah,' Harry said, a little surprised by her reaction. 'Why, is that important?'

'It shouldn't even _be_ an Anaconda, much less the same one twice!' Hermione fretted.

'Erm…about a dozen times, actually,' Harry said sheepishly. 'It was a nice snake!' he defended himself when everyone turned to stare at him.

'Maybe it's because he's a Parselmouth,' Ginny suggested. 'Maybe the spell works differently for him than a normal person.'

'So I'm not normal now?' Harry asked with a half smile.

'Oh no, definitely not,' Ginny said playfully.

'Later, children,' Hermione said absently, obviously still struggling with the whole idea. Alex and Cassie, who had just returned, seemed to think this was tremendously funny and burst out laughing, earning a glare from the bushy haired girl.

'What did we do?' they asked in unison, wearing identical looks of exaggerated innocence. Hermione's lips twitched as a smile threatened to form.

'Stop that,' she scolded.

'We're sorry,' they said, lowering their heads contritely. Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

'What did I do to deserve this?' she muttered.

'Aww, cheer up Hermy,' Alex grinned at her.

'Yeah, don't mind us,' Cassie agreed.

'We're just here to brighten your day with smiles and laughter,' Alex continued.

'Absolutely harmless fun, that'll make all this more bearable,' Cassie finished.

'Thanks,' said Hermione sourly. 'And if you call me "Hermy" again, I'll hex you.'

The twins looked at each other, then at Hermione. 'Yes, Hermy,' they said in unison.

Hermione's head hit the table with a solid _thunk _as a shriek echoed through the hall from the Slytherin table and Pansy bolted from the hall, her hands grabbing at her bandages, which had been transfigured into snakes.

'I thought Slytherin's _liked_ snakes,' Alex said in an injured tone, and everyone within earshot burst out laughing.

========

The rest of Harry's day was fairly easy. He had a double free period after lunch, which he assumed was when his "class" would take place. After that was double Transfiguration, which mostly consisted of taking notes. Only Ron was in this class with him; he was pleased to find that Transfiguration was a mixed class, consisting of all four houses, and Malfoy was not present.

As he and Ron were leaving, McGonagall stopped him. 'The Headmaster would like to see you after dinner, Potter,' she said simply.

When Harry finished dinner, he briefly told his friends about his meeting and stood to leave. Ginny followed him, catching him on the marble staircase.

'Need some company?' she offered, falling into stride beside him.

'Sure,' he shrugged casually, although his head and heart were screaming at him. The problem was, they were screaming very different things.

'Sorry about yesterday,' she said as they reached the top of the staircase and turned right. 'But you looked so cute I couldn't resist.'

Harry almost choked on the word "cute". He noticed that Ginny was blushing bright red, obviously embarrassed.

'That's alright,' he said finally. 'I've had worse.'

She giggled, then tentatively slipped her hand into his. Her hand was small and warm, and Harry gave it a small squeeze of reassurance.

They reached the gargoyle, and once again Harry realised he didn't have the password. 'Why didn't McGonagall…' he started, but as soon as he spoke the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal the moving staircase. Harry stared at it with one eyebrow raised.

'That was easy,' Ginny remarked as they were carried to the ornate door at the top of the staircase. Harry knocked, and Dumbledore's voice came from within. 'Come in Harry, Ginny.'

Harry pushed the door open to find Dumbledore sitting as usual behind his desk. Standing off to one side was Tonks, today with deep purple hair, and next to her was Remus Lupin.

'Professor!' Harry exclaimed, releasing Ginny's hand and hurrying over to the werewolf. Lupin smiled wanly.

'Hello Harry,' he said, his voice almost dead. Harry stopped in his tracks.

'Professor?' he asked tentatively.

'I'm not your Professor anymore, Harry,' Lupin said with a half smile. 'Please call me Remus.'

'Okay,' Harry said uncertainly.

'Besides, I think I should be the one calling _you_ "Professor",' he added.

'Oh,' Harry shrugged. 'Not entirely my idea.'

'Hello Remus,' Ginny said, coming to stand beside Harry and slipping her hand into his again. Remus looked at them both, and a smile threatened to cross his worn face.

'Wotcher Harry, Ginny,' Tonks said with a smirk.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. 'Harry, a moment of your time?'

'Of course,' Harry said, although he was reluctant to leave Lupin.

'I'd better be going,' Lupin said, quickly making for the door. 'I'll be in touch,' he said to Dumbledore, then he was gone.

The Headmaster gazed after him for a moment. 'That's the closest to smiling I've seen him since Sirius died,' he said quietly.

His Godfather's name hit Harry like a punch in the gut. It had been some time since he had last thought of him, and he now felt a little guilty for forgetting him so easily. He cleared his throat painfully, swallowing hard and sat on one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.

'What did you want to see me about?' he asked dully. Ginny sat in the chair next to him and took his hands in her own, squeezing gently.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' Dumbledore said sympathetically. 'I know you are hurting from this, and I want to help any way I can.'

'If you want to help then talk about something else!' Ginny said testily, being the only one who could feel Harry's hands rhythmically clenching and unclenching.

'Very well,' Dumbledore said, lifting a heavy book from his desk. 'This is for you, Harry.'

The book was bound with black leather, with gold trim outlining the borders of the cover and spine. Emblazoned across the front of silver letters was the inscription, "_A Guide To Hexes, Curses, and Spells: The How To, Where To, When To, And Why In Merlin's Name To_, By The Lord And Lady Hex".

'What you hold there is one of only two copies of that book in existence,' Dumbledore said, watching Harry carefully. 'I don't think the Lord and Lady would be too pleased if anything happened to it.'

'You know them?' Harry asked, looking up from the book. Dumbledore was more than a little relieved to see the dead look had been replaced by one of curiosity.

The Headmaster chuckled. 'Indeed I do,' he said with a twinkle in his eye. 'Very well indeed.'

'I'll take care of it,' Harry promised, opening the book at a random page and reading the spell written there. It was a spell that mummified the victim in duct tape. Harry blinked and read the spell again, just to make sure he hadn't misread it.

'They do have some peculiar ideas,' Dumbledore said, watching Harry's reaction in amusement. 'The Lady in particular is known to be particularly vicious at times.'

'I can see that,' Harry said, flipping through the book to find more spells, some gruesome, some merely amusing.

'I thought the book might help when you begin your class next week,' Dumbledore continued.

'Next week?' Harry's head jerked up. 'So soon?'

'Whatever happened to talking things over? Or is your memory that short?' Ginny asked in a voice that made Harry wince.

'Miss Weasley, I am Headmaster here, and I am in charge of compiling a timetable that works for everyone, not just Harry Potter,' Dumbledore said seriously. 'There are many students eager to begin classes with Harry, and the sooner we start the more prepared the students will be.'

'It's okay Ginny,' Harry put a hand on her shoulder when she looked ready to retort. 'Where?' he asked the Headmaster.

'There are several spare classrooms in the Defense wing,' Dumbledore answered. 'They are all at your disposal. Perhaps you could use a different classroom for each aspect of your classes, one for spell work, one for fencing, and one for unarmed combat.'

Harry nodded. 'Sounds good,' he said, looking down at the book in his hands again.

'So you want me to teach you lot to fence, huh?' Tonks grinned cheekily. 'Don't know if it's possible, really. Bunch of clumsy oafs from the looks.'

'You're one to talk,' Harry smiled. 'I remember when you lot came to pick me up last year from the Dursleys, the first thing I heard was you breaking something.'

Tonks laughed. 'Shh! You're not supposed to mention that.'

'Sorry,' Harry smirked.

'He's right though,' Ginny added. 'Remember when you tried to help mum last Christmas?'

Tonks winced, raising her hands in surrender. 'Okay, I give up!' she laughed. 'I can't beat a Weasley female, your mother taught me that.'

'No one can,' Harry said, grinning at Ginny, who stuck her tongue out at him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat again, looking amused at their antics. 'Now that's all settled, if I could have my office back…?'

'Sorry sir,' Harry grinned. 'We're going.' He extended his hand to Ginny, and, smiling, she took it. They headed for the door, followed by Tonks.

'Keep them out of mischief,' he called to Tonks as she slipped out the door. The young Auror turned back briefly and winked.

Dumbledore shook his head and smiled.

A/N: I just got back from seeing Spiderman 2! Bloody brilliant movie, better than the first one! Can't wait for the third movie! Yay!


	15. Quidditch Trials

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Another day, another chapter. Enjoy!_

dree: _Yes, I have read the Artemis Fowl books (the first two, anyway - been meaning to read the third, maybe it's time I did) so I'd love to take a look at your story. And don't stop with the spelling mistakes, if you point them out I can fix them!_

Lady Arwen of Rivendell: _One update, served on a silver plater to your...erm...computer screen. No mickey taking extremes required! Yessir!_

Blue Firefly: _You wanna kill Quick Edit? Can I watch? Maybe hold your jacket for you while you carry out God's work?_

Tanydwr: _Rambling is good. Big words are good. As for the twins, well...let's just say it's a secret._

Luna Lovegood2: _She sounds like a teacher! Get her!_

gpotter: _Frustrating is exactly the word I would have used. Oh well. PoA was good, but I don't really think the movies do the books justice (in any way, shape or form) so I only saw it once. Awesome? Aww, now I feel all warm and tingly... (scrolls down to the bottom of the chapter and reads) Oh dear...erm...not what I meant! Bloody hell..._

The first week of classes seemed to fly by, and the weekend was soon upon them. Harry felt that the week was particularly pleasant as at one point he had not seen Snape for three whole days. His decision not to take Potions this year was, to his mind, a brilliant one. Lord knew he'd never liked Potions in the first place, and it wasn't like he really _needed_ to take the class. His conviction was strengthened when he saw the huge pile of homework Hermione brought back from her first class with Snape. Instead, he spent his spare classes preparing for his own class. He spent some time talking with James and Tonks about what to teach, and by the end of the week had hammered together a rough plan for the year.

He saw Cho a few times in the corridors, but she passed him with her head down, pretending she hadn't seen him. He didn't mind; it was one less problem for him to worry about, although he still felt a small twinge of guilt whenever he saw her.

Although he hadn't been avoiding Ginny as such, he hadn't really seen much of her, either. She had her own friends back at the castle now, so her time with the trio was limited. Even so, she smiled at Harry every time they saw each other, and her found his heart leaping every time. He wasn't sure what he wanted, and he wasn't sure what she wanted, but he _was_ sure that the whole dating thing was much overrated after his disastrous time with Cho. So why did he constantly feel like something was missing when she wasn't around?

========

He had scheduled the Gryffindor Quidditch trials for the first Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning saw he, Ron, Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke on the Quidditch pitch, devising tests for each position's candidates.

Although the two Beaters had improved dramatically over the last year, Harry didn't have the heart to tell them that he was on the lookout for replacements. As good as they were they were still nothing on the Weasley twins, and Harry desperately wanted to put together a team good enough to win the cup this year.

Ginny, Alex and Cassie showed up just after lunch. Harry waved from his position near the far goal posts, then flew over to greet them.

'All set Ginny?' he asked, dropping to the ground in front of her.

She smiled and held up her Lightningbolt. 'Ready,' she confirmed, then mounted her broom and flew to where Ron was hovering in front of the goals.

'Thanks for asking us,' Alex said, holding up his own broom.

'You play?' Harry asked, a little surprised. As far as he knew, Quidditch wasn't very big in Australia.

'Of course,' Cassie said with a slightly superior smile.

'Yeah, it's really big in Melbourne,' Alex confirmed.

'Not so much in the other states, though,' Cassie added.

'Umm…okay,' Harry shook his head slightly. Talking to these two was worse than talking to the Weasley twins. 'What position do you play?'

'Guess,' Alex said with a cheeky smirk.

'Please tell me you play Beaters,' Harry almost begged.

'Bingo,' Cassie said.

'Got it in one,' Alex added.

'Thank Merlin,' Harry breathed a sigh of relief. 'Those two are hopeless,' he indicated Jack and Andrew, who were currently racing each other up and down the pitch.

'Don't panic,' Cassie winked.

'We'll show them how the game is played,' Alex jumped onto his broom and shot into the air, blasting past both Beaters and blowing them a kiss as he passed. They stared after him, glanced at each other, and sped off after him.

'What type of broom is that?' Harry asked, noticing the odd construction of Alex's broom. It was thicker than usual, and the wood was a very deep red.

'It's a Holden GTS,' Cassie said, holding her own broom out for inspection. 'It's made by a car company. A few years back they hired a wizard who told the CEO about the wizarding world, and how he could make more money by making brooms as well as cars. They have a whole range for sale in Australia now.'

'It's certainly fast,' Harry noted, although he also noted that it wasn't as fast as his Firebolt or Ginny's Lightningbolt.

'Not the fastest,' Cassie caught his expression. 'But it's moves well, so it's good for Beaters. We used them in games back home.'

'Better than Kirke and Sloper,' Harry indicated where Alex had just flown a tight figure eight through the goal hoops and the two Beaters had tried to follow, resulting in them colliding when they tried to go through the hoop at the same time.

Alex swooped down to where they stood, pulling his broom up to hover in front of them.

'Pitiful,' he said disdainfully, watching the Beaters trying to untangle themselves.

'Looks that way,' his sister agreed with him.

'Come on then,' he floated away. Cassie smiled quickly at Harry, climbed onto her broom and kicked off, following her brother.

Half an hour later, Harry, Ron, Andrew and Jack stood in front of a small crowd of people, all holding brooms and looking hopeful. Ginny and the Milton twins stood slightly off to one side. Watching from the stands were most of Gryffindor house.

'Right!' Harry called the group's attention. 'Well, welcome to the Quidditch trials! We've devised different tests for each position, so we'll watch you play and then decide on the best people at the end. You will be evaluated not only on your skill, but on your teamwork, because if we're going to win the cup this year it's going to take a strong team that can work well together. Any questions?' There were none. 'Okay then, Chasers to Ron, Beaters to Andrew and Jack, and Seekers to me!' They had decided to try for a full reserve team this year, after the disasters last year with Harry and the Weasley twins being banned. That and Harry had a nasty habit of ending up in the hospital wing on the day of the final.

Unfortunately, there were no candidates for a reserve Seeker. The assembled group split up into two, one half going to Ron and the rest going to Andrew and Jack.

'Oh well,' Harry shrugged. 'Makes my job easier.' He kicked off, coming to a stop about fifteen feet above the centre of the pitch. He smiled briefly at Ginny, who waved back, then he straightened on his broom.

'Okay then! Chasers, you have to try and score against Ron in groups of three, while two Beaters try to stop you and I run interference.' He smiled at the looks of apprehension as he said the last bit. Everyone knew how good a flyer he was. 'It's as close as we can come to real game conditions for a test, and later we'll put the best of you into a mock game and see how you do. Okay? Everyone got that?' There was a chorus of 'yes's' from the crowd. Harry glanced down at the sheet of paper in his hand. Every candidate had written their name and what position they were trying out for on it as they had entered the stadium. 'First Chasers are Ginny Weasley, Evan Goody, and Jane Watson, and the Beaters are Alex and Cassie Milton.'

The five he had named flew up to take their positions. Evan Goody was a third year, although he was fairly big for his age. Jane Watson, on the other hand, was tiny. She was a fourth year, but she looked like a second year at best.

'Ready?' Harry called. Everyone nodded, and Jack threw him the Quaffle from the ground. 'Go!' he called, passing the Quaffle off to Ginny and then flying directly after it. Ginny snagged the Quaffle and easily dodged him, passing to Jane who passed to Evan. The third year freaked out when he saw Harry flying directly towards him and missed the catch, cursing and diving to catch up with the scarlet ball.

'Keep your head, Goody!' Harry shouted. He nodded, looking embarrassed, and passed off to Ginny, who reverse passed back to Evan. Ron was constantly adjusting his position in front of the goal hoops, his eyes intently on the approaching Chasers.

'Now!' Harry yelled, and Jack and Andrew released the Bludgers. Alex and Cassie were on them almost before they were out of their box, sending them rocketing at the Chasers. Ginny easily dodged the first while Jane, who now had the Quaffle, narrowly avoided the second.

It was Evan who had the first shot onto Ron's goal. He feinted left and threw right, but Ron was ready and easily saved it.

'Bad luck Evan!' Ron tossed the Quaffle back to him.

'Back to the middle!' Harry yelled. 'Try again!'

On this approach they had the Bludgers to contend with the whole way. Alex and Cassie were superb, and Harry had to wonder if there was something about twins that made them such great Beaters. There had been so many narrow misses that Harry knew it was deliberate, and each miss made Evan and Jane lose their nerve a little more. Ginny, on the other hand, easily dodged the Bludgers and made the first score on Ron.

'Way to go Ginny!' Harry yelled as the Quaffle sailed straight through Ron's outstretched fingers and through the centre goal hoop. She did a little loop the loop of sheer delight, grinning back at him.

They went on for a few more minutes. Jane managed to score once, Ginny several times, but Evan was by now too frightened of the Bludgers, flinching violently every time one passed and dropping the Quaffle if he had it.

'Time!' Harry blew the whistle Madam Hooch had given him, and Alex and Cassie each dove on one of the Bludgers, wrestling them back to the ground and holding them. Harry hadn't told them to do that, although the Weasley twins had done so frequently at practices; more evidence that they were good Beaters.

'That was good,' Harry said as the players approached him. 'Alright, go sit down while we test these others.' He glanced at his list again. 'Next Chasers are Dean Thomas, Greg Redfield, and…' he stared at the paper, trying to make sure he hadn't misread the name. 'Melinda Chang?' He swallowed hard. Cho had a sister? She was in Gryffindor? How had he missed that? 'Umm…Beaters are Seamus Finnegan and Euan Waterhouse.'

Melinda was a second year, built like her sister. She smiled impishly at him as she took her position, snatching the Quaffle as he threw it and speeding off towards the goals, Dean and Greg trailing along behind.

By the end of the day, after a quick mock game, he had his new team firmly chosen. He motioned for Ron, Andrew and Kirke to follow him.

'Ginny, Melinda and Greg for Chasers,' he said firmly. The other three nodded.

'Good choices,' Ron said, glancing back over his shoulder at the milling crowd.

Harry hesitated before saying the next bit. 'The Milton twins for Beaters,' he smiled apologetically at Andrew and Jack.

'Hey, we know when we're outclassed,' Jack said, motioning at the twins, who were chatting with Ginny. 'They're way better than we could ever hope to be.'

'And we can still play reserves,' Andrew added.

'Thanks guys,' Harry said gratefully.

'We want Gryffindor to win the cup too, you know,' Jack said with a half smile.

Harry nodded. 'Ginny, Melinda, Greg, Alex and Cassie then,' he said, and the others nodded.

'Okay!' Harry called when they returned to the group. 'We have three new Chasers: Ginny Weasley, Greg Redfield, and Melinda Chang. The new Beaters are Alex and Cassie Milton. Sorry to the rest of you, but we're still looking for reserves, so there will be another tryout in a few weeks for the reserve team. Hope to see you there!'

There was some muttering about favourism in the departing crowd, but for the most part they took their dismissal well.

Harry addressed the team. 'I checked with Madam Hooch, the first match is against Slytherin in November. We'll have practice once a week until it gets a bit closer, okay?' They all nodded. 'Let's head back to the castle. Ron, could you help me carry the balls back to the shed?'

'Sure,' Ron grabbed one end of the heavy chest as the rest of the team left. Together they carried it over to the storage shed and shoved it away.

'See you in a bit,' Harry said as Ron secured his Cleansweep 7 in the broom shed. When Ron looked at him questioningly, Harry held up his Firebolt.

'Right,' Ron nodded. 'See you.'

They headed up to the castle together, parting ways in the Entrance Hall. Harry climbed the marble staircase, heading for Gryffindor Tower, while Ron went into the Great Hall.

Harry stowed his Firebolt in his dormitory. When he came back down to the Common Room, he found Ginny waiting for him.

'Why aren't you at dinner?' he asked as she fell into stride beside him.

'Same reason you aren't,' she said. 'I'm not leaving my broom in the broom shed.'

'Fair enough,' Harry said, and they fell silent. They were almost back to the Entrance Hall when Ginny grabbed Harry's wrist and stopped him.

'Harry…' Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking slightly.

'What?' Harry asked, concerned. 'What's wrong?'

She turned away from him. 'Did you…did you put me on the team just because I'm your friend?'

The question caught him completely off guard. It wasn't quite what he had been expecting.

'Of course not,' he assured her, placing one hand on her shoulder. 'You made the team fair and square on you own skills.'

She seemed to sigh softly, and under Harry's hand her shoulder slumped. He didn't know whether it was relief or not.

'Why did you put Cho's little sister on the team?' she asked suddenly.

'Same reason I put you and Greg on the team, because she's good.'

'It doesn't have anything to do with Cho?' she pressed.

'Of course not,' Harry was by now growing alarmed. 'You know I don't like her that way any more.' Once again he found himself wishing for a window into her head so he could see what she was thinking.

She turned to face him, and Harry was startled to see tears in her eyes. 'This is hopeless,' she declared. 'I…'

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off by a loud laugh. Peeves shot through the wall, stopping abruptly when he saw Harry and Ginny.

'It's wee potty Potter!' he cackled.

'Get lost Peeves,' Harry turned away, placing one hand around Ginny's shoulders and making to lead her away. There was a sharp pain in the back of his head, and he turned abruptly in time to catch an ink pellet in the forehead.

'Peeves!' he yelled angrily. Peeves cackled and swooped towards him, abruptly vanishing through the ceiling with a curse. Harry turned to see Professor Milton striding down the corridor towards them.

'Thrice damned poltergeist,' he muttered, snapping his fingers in Harry's directing. The ink on his forehead vanished.

'Thanks,' Harry said gratefully.

'No problem. Shouldn't you two be at dinner?' He raised his eyebrows at them.

'We were just going,' Ginny said, throwing a glance at Harry. She gasped to see him standing rigidly straight, his scar glowing with a red light. He gasped, and would have collapsed if Ginny hadn't caught him.

'Hospital wing,' James said tersely, draping one of Harry's arms over his shoulders. Ginny took the other side, and together they half carried Harry through the castle.

========

Before Harry was really aware, he knew where he was. _I should have my own bed here_, he thought groggily.

Suddenly his mind awoke, and his dream came back to him in stark clarity.

His eyes flew open to find Ginny hovering over him anxiously.

'Harry!' she cried in relief, hugging him tightly. He felt warm and tingly all over, and he knew exactly what he had to do. He gently reached up and disengaged her arms from around his neck, pushing her away slightly. Her eyes widened, as if she could pick up on his thoughts. He smiled gently, braced himself, leaned forward, and leapt into the void.

He kissed her.

A/N: Longest chapter yet! Don't worry, you'll find out what happened in the dream in the next chapter...if you're good. Muahahahahaha!

gpotter: _Happy now?_


	16. The Dream Plane

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

__

A/N: I hope you've all been good little boys and girls, this is what, twelve hours after my last update? Damn I'm good…lol

His scar throbbed painfully. Harry closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again he found himself on a featureless white plane. It was just…empty. He looked around curiously, stamping his foot experimentally on the nothing he was standing on. It was a peculiar experience, to know he was standing on something even though there was nothing there but white.

He spun quickly as a voice hissed behind him. 'Finally.'

Lord Voldemort stood not ten feet from Harry, his sweeping black robes contrasting starkly against all the white. His serpentine eyes glowed red, and his snakelike nostrils flared as he breathed heavily. Harry reached instinctively for his wand and was startled to find it absent.

'You wouldn't be able to use it anyway,' Voldemort said almost conversationally, seating himself on a replica of his own huge basalt throne that had suddenly appeared. Harry gaped at his worst enemy, totally confused.

'Erm…huh?' he managed.

Voldemort shook his head. 'Pathetic,' he muttered. 'This is a dream world, Mister Potter. It exists solely in our minds, linked as they are.' His eyes glowed brighter as he spoke.

'Why? What?' Harry was, if anything, even more confused.

Voldemort sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was such a normal thing to do that Harry found himself quickly re-assessing several of his preconceptions.

'I have created this plane in order to speak with you. I am going to be reasonable, because I know that threats and intimidation will have absolutely no effect on the vaunted Gryffindor courage,' he sneered.

'What makes you think I'll listen?' Harry shot back.

'You'll listen,' Voldemort said calmly, 'because I come to you with an offer.'

'An…an offer?'

Voldemort nodded. 'Yes, Mister Potter, an offer.'

'Well?' Harry asked, crossing his arms.

'I recognise potential when I see it, Mister Potter. Within you I see a lot of myself. You are powerful, no doubts there. You have done an incredible amount in your short life. I wish to capitalise on that.'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked warily.

'I am offering you a place at my side, Mister Potter.' Voldemort's slitted eyes glowed even brighter, until Harry needed to shield his own eyes. 'I offer you unlimited power, wealth, whatever you desire at your fingertips. With you as my Prince and heir, we could take over the world!'

Unbidden, images floated across Harry's vision. He saw himself living in a palace with innumerable slaves doing his bidding, responding to his every whim. Gold piled everywhere, and scantily dressed women fawned over him.

'No!' Harry pushed the images away. 'I don't want any of that!'

'Oh, but you do, Mister Potter.' Voldemort watched him carefully from his throne. 'It is a part of human nature to want these things. Power, wealth, women…all could be yours. The price is small, when you consider the gains.'

'No! You listen here,' Harry said coldly. 'It will be a cold day in Hell when I join a monster like you of my own free will!'

Voldemort smirked. 'I could arrange that.'

More images appeared. In one, Hermione and Ron were working in a slave gang while men with cruel whips watched from horseback. In another, Neville was strung up by his ankles, being repeatedly subjected to the Cruciatus curse while men and women in Death Eater robes watched and laughed. Another contained Ginny. His mind shuddered back from what was happening to her, from what she was being subjected too. As he watched, helpless, she was repeatedly raped, all the while sobbing her misery. It tore at his heart, and he fell to his knees in agony.

'I seem to have hit a nerve,' Voldemort said cruelly, and the images intensified. Harry turned away and closed his eyes, trying to escape the awful images, but they seemed to be burned onto his very eyeballs. 'I can make it stop any time, Mister Potter. If you don't join me for yourself, join me for them. You could stop this from ever occurring.'

A choked sob escaped him as his mind filled with a new wave of sensations, images, smells: the feel of Ginny's skin against his own when they touched, the smell of her hair, an image of her laughing the first time she rode her new broom. He clung to his memories desperately, and Voldemort's images began to loose their intensity, like a television picture going out of focus. Finally they disappeared altogether.

Voldemort was watching him curiously. 'How in Slytherin's name did you do that?' he asked, his voice missing its usual scorn.

Harry opened his eyes and struggled to his feet. He was breathing heavily, and he was shaking violently. 'You can't win, Tom,' he said, deliberately using Voldemort's real name to vex him. 'None of this is real, you and I both know that.'

'Oh, isn't it?' Voldemort smiled thinly. 'I see how you did it now, I see the truth staring at me from your worthless mind. The lovely Miss Weasley.' Harry gaped at him. 'Oh yes, I know all about Miss Weasley. After all, I did possess her some years back.'

'How did you know?' Harry blurted.

'Do you really think I had no link to my diary? Really Mister Potter, I had thought you intelligent.'

'If you touch her…' Harry said threateningly.

'You'll what? Kill me?' Voldemort laughed, a mirthless sound that chilled Harry to the bone. 'Possibly. But the opposite is also possible, is it not?' He stared at Harry for a long while, and finally sighed. 'I see that I am wasting my time. You are far too stubborn to join me. Oh well, I shall enjoy destroying everything you love while you watch. Starting, I think, with Miss Weasley.'

'Leave her alone!' Harry shouted.

'Why, Mister Potter? Why should I leave her alone? Do you…love her?'

'I…' Harry trailed off, his mind going into overdrive. Did he? Did her really love her? Maybe. He wasn't really sure. But in any case, he wasn't about to let Voldemort have her. 'I will stop you.'

'Oh, I don't doubt you'll try,' Voldemort smiled cruelly. 'But how many of your precious friends will die in our little battle? Will you yourself die? Time will tell, I suppose. In the mean time, I will leave you to ponder on my words. My offer remains open.'

He stood, and the throne vanished. 'Farewell, Mister Potter. We shall meet again,' Voldemort smirked and performed a mocking half bow in Harry's direction. Quite suddenly he vanished.

'Thought he'd never bloody leave,' a very familiar voice grumbled. Harry spun quickly. The empty whiteness vanished as he did so, and he found himself standing in the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't quite how he remembered it though. The couches in front of the fire were different, seeming…older. In fact, everything appeared to be from several decades ago.

Standing in front of Harry, looking the same as he had at Harry's parent's wedding, was Sirius Black.

'Sirius!' Harry cried, launching himself at his Godfather. Sirius laughed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he hugged Harry fiercely.

'Hi kiddo,' he said finally, disengaging Harry's arms from around his neck. 'Long time no see.'

'Sirius…' Harry began, uncertain on how to proceed.

Sirius sighed, running one hand through his black hair absently. 'Why don't we sit?' he suggested, indicating the couches in front of the fire.

'Okay,' Harry agreed, and they sat. There was an awkward silence until Harry said, 'How?'

Sirius quirked a half smile. 'Long story,' he said, leaning back on the couch. 'It's all very complicated. Because I never actually died, as such, all the rules are a little hazy. I don't have a body anymore, that disintegrated when I fell through the veil, but my consciousness still exists. Well, obviously, because I'm here now.'

'Thank God,' Harry leaned his head on Sirius' shoulder. His Godfather smiled.

'Yes,' he said finally. 'Thank God indeed. But there's more to it than that. Although I had a consciousness, there was nothing I could do with it. I mean, you'd think there would be something to _do _after you died, but there's just nothing. I tried to talk to you in your dreams a few times, but your mind was too strong and kept repelling me.'

'Sorry,' Harry said quickly.

'Not your fault,' Sirius assured him. 'If you can repel _me_, then you can repel most others as well. In any case, when Lord Moldimort created this dream plane, it was almost perfect. I just had to wait for him to leave, otherwise he could have banished me.'

'Oh,' Harry considered Sirius' words. 'So you're not really dead?'

'Physically, I'm dead,' Sirius corrected. 'And there's not really much I can do this way, although I'm working on that.'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked curiously.

'I'm negotiating with the Higher Powers. There's a chance they may let me reincarnate.'

'You could come back?' Harry sat up straight again.

'Not quite,' Sirius chuckled. 'Sometimes, if a wizard dies and they have something very important left undone in their life, and they have very strong ties to a particular person, they can reincarnate, but not into human form.' Harry's face fell. 'I could only come back as an animal.'

Harry thought he knew what Sirius meant. 'Like, say, a dog?'

'Exactly,' Sirius confirmed. 'So that's what I'm trying to do right now. It's taking a while, though. Time really doesn't mean anything on the Higher Planes.'

'That's alright,' Harry rested his head on Sirius' shoulder again. 'It'll be great to have you back, even as a dog.'

'Now don't get your hopes up,' Sirius warned. 'They could still say no.'

'They won't,' Harry said confidently.

'Maybe,' Sirius sighed. They were silent for a long moment.

'I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Voldemort,' Sirius said finally.

Harry snorted. 'He's an idiot if he thinks I'd ever join him!'

'Peter did,' Sirius said quietly, and Harry felt a hot flush of anger flow through him as the betrayer's name. 'But that's not what I'm taking about. Was he right?'

'What?' Harry asked, confused.

'He asked you about Ginny. Was he right?' There was an intensity to Sirius' face that Harry found a little disturbing.

'I don't know. I don't know!' Harry burst out, standing quickly and beginning to pace.

'Did I ever tell you about Amanda?' Sirius asked.

Harry stopped his pacing briefly, considering. 'No, I don't think so.'

'She was my fiancée,' Sirius said quietly, and Harry's blood chilled. 'We got engaged a few weeks before you were born.' He smiled, although it was a painful smile. 'She was Kissed by Dementors for consorting with "Death Eaters". No trial, no proof, just Kissed.' Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Harry felt his heart constricting in his chest. Unbidden, an image rose of Ginny being held down by two Aurors as a Dementor pulled back it's hood…

'I loved her to distraction,' Sirius said finally. 'I had done since our sixth year, I just couldn't admit it. I wasn't _brave_ enough.' He opened his eyes and gazed at Harry. 'By the time I finally got the courage to ask her, it was far too late. All that time we could have been together, and I wasted it all by being too _chicken_ to do anything about my feelings for her.'

Suddenly the scene around them changed. They were in the Hospital wing. Harry could see himself laying in a bed at the far end of the ward, and hovering anxiously over him was Ginny. For some odd reason his scar was glowing bright red.

'You've been unconscious for five days,' Sirius said quietly, placing one hand on Harry's shoulder. 'In all that time, she hasn't left your side. Not to eat, not to go to classes. She screamed at Dumbledore when he tried to get her to leave. She sleeps on the bed next to you, when she sleeps at all. She thinks only of you, doesn't spare a thought for herself. Ron and Hermione have to force her to eat anything, and if they didn't she wouldn't even notice she was hungry. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.' He looked at Harry directly. 'I want you to be happy, Harry. Don't wait too long.'

'I…' Harry tried to speak, but his throat constricted. He couldn't breathe suddenly, and the room was spinning.

'The planar spell's wearing off,' Sirius said, his voice sounding very far away. 'Remember what I said. Remember…'

Suddenly Harry was rushing towards his body. He was spinning, revolving on the spot as he was catapulted forwards, landing with a thump in his body…

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A/N: And you all know what happens next.

Next Chapter: You'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?


	17. Aftermath

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Greetings once again! Good grief, this is Chapter 17 already! Seems like only a few weeks ago that I first posted…oh hang on…it was only a few weeks ago. Oh well. Enjoy!

I need some serious comments on this one, people. Like it or hate it, tell me. Let me know if it needs to be re-done. Please?

athenakitty: _(blinks) That's a lot of questions! As to the answers…you'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?_

Aimee Locke: _lol, actually I AM a procrastinator. I could update this story every six hours or so, if I could be bothered. It only takes me a few hours to write a chapter. But seventeen chapters in three weeks (or so) isn't too bad, I think. I'm aiming for two to three chapters a week._

TheDarkServant: _Ah, but nowhere in QTTA does it mention the capital cities, and none of the teams are from them. That's what I meant, that it isn't big in the cities themselves (which is where Alex and Cassie came from). That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for pointing it out, though._

Schnuff: _McGonagall and Voldemort dancing? That is seriously weird nightmare material._

By the time Harry and Ginny parted, they were both breathless. Ginny's eyes were closed, her lips curled into a soft contented smile. Then her eyes opened and Harry almost lost himself in the depth of emotion he saw there.

'Wow,' she breathed, stroking his face softly with one hand. Harry could have sworn he heard a ghostly chuckle from the other end of the ward. 'What took you so long?' She leaned down and once again caught his lips with hers.

There was a loud cough. The two teens reluctantly parted to find Albus Dumbledore watching them with an amused twinkle in his eyes. 'I won't keep you long,' he said, coming to stand by Harry's bed. Harry noticed that Ginny kept her eyes firmly on the floor, and remembered what Sirius had said about her yelling at the Headmaster. 'Clearly you have more important things to attend to,' Dumbledore winked at Harry, who flushed a deep red.

'We were just –'

'It's alright, Harry,' Dumbledore assured him gently. 'That love can bloom in such dire times as this is a truly wonderful thing. But I must speak with you briefly about your experience on the dream plane.'

Harry looked at the Headmaster sharply. How did he know where Harry had been?

'I know that Voldemort came to you,' Dumbledore continued. 'I just need to know what he told you.'

'He offered me an opportunity to join him,' Harry answered honestly. Ginny gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

'And what did you say?' Dumbledore's face was expressionless.

'I told him he could stick his offer, for all I care. I'll not join him,' he said the last mostly to Ginny, and smiled at her in reassurance. She smiled back, and Harry felt that familiar leaping sensation in his chest.

'Very well then,' Dumbledore turned to leave. 'As you were, Harry. I will speak with you later.'

After Dumbledore left, Ginny quickly drew the curtains around Harry's bed, returning to his side once they completely concealed the bed and it's occupants. She lay down beside him on the bed.

'As you were indeed,' she breathed.

'Ginny…there's something I need to tell you,' Harry said hesitantly. A strange look passed over her face, but her expression quickly turned curious. He told her about meeting Sirius on the dream plane, and the gist of their conversation. 'When he told me about Amanda,' Harry said after he finished the story, 'it was like this bubble burst inside me, and suddenly I just…knew, like it had been there all along just waiting for the right moment to come out.'

'Knew what?' she asked, at the same time needing to know and dreading the answer.

He tried to speak, but couldn't get the words out. He took a deep breath, his mind blank. _I can't do this_. Suddenly he heard Sirius' words in his head. _I loved her to distraction. I had since our sixth year, I just couldn't admit it. I wasn't brave enough_. The pain in Sirius' voice as he had said those words was beyond Harry's ability to comprehend. Sirius had wasted so much time and regretted it the rest of his life, and Harry swore then and there that he wouldn't do the same. He had taken the plunge, now he needed to take the next step.

'I love you,' he said simply, staring into Ginny's brown eyes. 'I think I always have. I just never noticed before.'

'Oh Harry!' she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. 'I love you too,' she whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

'So what are we going to do about this new revelation?' Harry asked her, his emerald eyes sparkling and his mind whirling.

'We'll think of something,' she said impishly, moving closer to him again.

========

Ginny's head was spinning. She couldn't believe this was really happening. She was kissing Harry Potter! Not only that, he was kissing back. Enthusiastically.

When Harry had said, "there's something I need to tell you", her mind had immediately gone into overdrive, summoning all sorts of possibilities for what he was about to say. Her heart sank as she told herself that the most likely thing he was about to say was something along the lines of "I thought you were someone else" or "I was delusional". She forced herself to look interested in what he had to say, even though she was dreading hearing him say it. When he told her the story of meeting Sirius on the dream plane, her doubts grew. How was that relevant? Then he had dropped the bombshell.

He had told her he loved her.

And she didn't doubt it for a second. The look in his eyes when he had spoken those fateful words was so sincere, so honest, so _Harry_.

She sighed as they parted, laying full against him on the bed, snuggling up to his side. He ran his hands through her flaming hair, and she shivered with pleasure. It was strange, really, how his slightest touch sent shivers down her spine and made her whole body down to her toes tingle.

'I love you,' he whispered again, as though he were trying the words out. It suddenly struck Ginny that he had most probably never said those words to another person before. He had never really had the opportunity. Her heart went out to him all over again as she thought of the lost little boy he had been the first time she had seen him, dumped at King's Cross Station by relatives that didn't care less if he got the train or not. Back then, she hadn't realised who he was, but the first time she laid eyes on him, somehow she knew, right through the depths of her being, that he was the one. Even at age ten, she had known. And now, six years later, she sighed in absolute contentment as they simply lay together, and she knew that everything would finally be alright.

'I love you too,' she whispered back. She glanced at his face to see his eyes closed and a peaceful smile. His regular breathing told her that he had fallen asleep. She smiled too, settling down with her head pillowed on his chest, and promptly fell asleep, her long hours of vigilance at his side finally catching up to her.

========

By the time Harry was released that evening, somehow the story was all over the school. It was a constant source of bafflement for Harry as to how these things managed to get around so quickly, although he privately suspected a certain painting hanging near the doors in the hospital wing.

For once he wasn't worried about the rumours. As he entered the Great Hall for dinner, he found himself surrounded by Prefects. Ron and Hermione were there of course, as always. Ernie Macmillan nodded solemnly as he, Hannah Abbott, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Padma Patil took up positions around him to escort him to the Gryffindor table. The public show of support touched Harry deeply, far more than he was willing to admit. It seemed almost as if the whispers died abruptly as Harry made his way across the hall.

Far more importantly in Harry's eyes, however, was the fact that Ginny was firmly by his side. Her arm was around his waist and his was around hers, and Harry could feel the eyes upon them as they sat at the Gryffindor table. It also seemed to be public knowledge that she had spent the last six days with Harry in the hospital wing, refusing to leave even for the Headmaster. Soon enough the whispers started again, although they didn't have anything to do with Voldemort.

'Good to have you back,' Justin whispered to Harry as the "honour guard" returned to their respective tables. Harry looked across the hall and caught Malfoy glaring at him, fingering his wand.

'Harry, mate!' Alex bounded up to him, followed as always by his twin.

'Great to see you up and about again,' Cassie chimed in as the two took seats.

Just then Dumbledore stood. 'Attention, please!' he called, and every eye in the hall turned his way. 'I am pleased to announce that this year there will be a Halloween Ball here at Hogwarts! It is open to any students above third year, although younger students may attend if invited by an older student. There will be a special Hogsmeade weekend for anyone who doesn't already have dress robes to purchase some. Now, let's eat!'

Harry turned immediately to Ginny and smiled shyly. 'Come with me?'

'Love to,' she smiled back, firmly linking her hand with his.

Ron leaned over and whispered something into Hermione's ear. Her eyes went very wide, and she suddenly smiled. She tilted her head slightly in the direction of the doors, and without a word both left the hall.

Alex blinked. 'Did I miss something?'

Neville politely excused himself and left, heading for the Ravenclaw table. As Harry watched him leave, his eyes suddenly caught Cho's. She was watching him, taking in his close proximity to Ginny and their linked hands. She smiled weakly at him, quickly turning away, and Harry thought he saw a tear running down her cheek.

He turned back to Ginny to find her also looking at the Ravenclaw table, although she was scowling. A boy Harry recognised as Michael Corner was motioning between himself and her, smiling hopefully. Very slowly and obviously, Ginny pointed to herself, then Harry, then shook her head. Michael's face fell, and after Ginny turned away he glared at Harry.

'What was that all about?' Harry asked her curiously.

'He's been trying to get back with me all year,' Ginny said absently, now munching on a buttered roll.

'Oh has he now?' Harry glanced back at Michael, who was speaking tersely with another Ravenclaw boy next to him.

'Yep,' Ginny confirmed, giving his hand a squeeze. 'Now I have an excuse to turn him down.'

Alex, who had been watching the exchange, raised his eyebrow. 'I take it the rumours are true, then?'

'You two are together now?' Cassie asked with an impish smile.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other briefly, wordlessly agreeing. 'Yes,' they said simultaneously.

Alex laughed, clapping Harry on the back. 'Good for you, mate,' he said. 'How did Ron take it?'

'Surprisingly well,' Harry admitted. 'He said pretty much the same thing you just did, actually.'

'Maybe that's because he's finally growing up,' Hermione said as she and Ron returned. Harry wasn't about to say anything, but Ron had a smudge of lipstick on his cheek that was precisely the shade Hermione was wearing. It seemed the twins didn't have his self-restraint.

'Oi Ron! Is that _lipstick_ on your cheek?' Alex asked, jumping to his feet.

'No!' Ron said immediately, rubbing his cheek furiously – the wrong cheek.

'Don't worry, we'll get it for you,' Cassie said, also standing. Both grinning widely, the twins approached Ron, one from each side. They both had handkerchiefs, and they held them extended before them.

'Really, I don't…geroff!' Ron cried as they leapt at him, swiping his face furiously with the kerchiefs. Ron toppled over backwards, sending all three of them crashing down and knocking over Neville, who was returning from the Ravenclaw table. Hermione, trying desperately not to laugh, pulled Ron back up.

'Stop it, you two!' she said, although the corners of her mouth twitched.

'We're sorry Hermy,' they said contritely as Ron helped Neville back onto his feet.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and burst out laughing.

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A/N: Ye gads, I crack myself up sometimes. How sad is that?

PLEASE REVIEW! I need comments on this chapter, specifically the first bit. It works, it sucks, anything!


	18. Advanced Defense

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Many, many, MANY thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far, in particular gpotter _(this story would have stalled ages ago if not for you, and from reading your story, anyone would hate Michael Corner. I just have the opportunity to torture him a bit), _Blue Firefly_ (Nice to have another Aussie along for the ride, but Fluff-a-holics-Anonymous? Ye gads, I'm that bad? Oh well. And yes, I am a freak), _Dree_ (The ever picky perfectionist – kidding! 'Course you can borrow the chainsaw, but I gotta get it off Blue Firefly first, she's using it to destroy Quick Edit and I get to hold her coat!) and all the other regulars. Without you lot to encourage me, this chapter would have been a lot longer in coming. THANK YOU all so much!_

Anyone who spots the Matrix reference gets ten points (it's really obvious, go on!). Twenty points to Dree_, who was the only one who figured out where I got the idea for the Dream Plane, or at least the only one that said anything (come on, it was obvious, wasn't it?)._

Cobalt45: _Harry probably would have rathered a quiet entrance, but he wasn't going to get it anyway. He could appreciate the risk the Prefects took in openly allying with him; they were making themselves targets to take attention away from him, and he was grateful. As for what happened between Hermione and Ron…use your imagination!_

It was odd for Harry to know that, while his experience on the dream plane had seemed to take only ten minutes, it had in fact been five days. He had some trouble adjusting to the fact that it was no longer Saturday, but was now the following Friday. He mentally shrugged; just one more bizarre experience in the magical world.

He had been excused from classes until Monday, and he spent the time reviewing class notes supplied by Hermione and trying to catch up on some of the homework he had missed. His own class would start on Monday morning, and he didn't know whether to look forward to it or dread it. Dumbledore had simply dubbed it "Advanced Defense", and told Harry to concentrate on things that were not in the normal curriculum, like the Patronus Charm.

By the time Ginny, Ron and Hermione climbed through the portrait hole after classes he had given up on getting any work done and was staring moodily out the window. Ginny made directly for him and dropped into the seat beside him. 'Lo, you,' she said, kissing him on the cheek. He immediately brightened, wrapping one arm about her waist as Hermione looked over the notes he had been making.

'These are fine, Harry,' she said, indicating the work he had done. 'Stop worrying.'

'Easy for you to say,' Harry said pensively. 'You don't have to teach a class with Malfoy in it on Monday.' Ginny squeezed him slightly in silent reassurance.

Ron's face suddenly lit up. 'Hang on, didn't Dumbledore say you could take points?'

Harry's smile was immediate and vicious. 'I'd forgotten that.'

'Serve the git right,' Ginny growled. 'Remember last year, when he was in the Moron Squad?'

'And besides, we'll all be there, and so will Professor Milton and Tonks,' Hermione said soothingly. 'I don't think Malfoy's going to try anything, is he?'

Harry smirked. 'You know, this could be more fun than I thought.'

========

By Monday morning, however, he wasn't quite as optimistic. In DADA they were learning dueling techniques, and Harry had now missed three classes worth. He did, however, manage to dodge the Tripping hex that Professor Milton sent his way as they entered the room, earning him ten points and Neville a broken nose when it hit him instead.

When Neville's nose had been repaired James divided them up into groups of four. Harry was with Ron, Hermione and Dean Thomas.

'I want you to practice the techniques we've been going over in the last few lessons with your partners,' he instructed. 'Practice makes perfect, and there was a lot of sloppy work last lesson. Begin!'

While Hermione showed Harry what he had missed, Ron and Dean set up a mock duel so they could practice. It ended when Ron managed to disarm Dean after a good ten minutes.

'Good one,' Dean gasped, massaging his ribs and wincing.

'Sorry about that,' Ron said sheepishly, handing the other boy's wand back. 'Got a bit carried away there.'

'It's alright,' Dean assured him. 'Just smarts a little. I'd hate to have to take you lot on in a real duel.' The last was directed to Harry and Hermione as well.

'It's Harry's fault,' Ron grinned.

'Ron,' Hermione scolded.

'It's alright, Hermione,' Harry laughed. He looked at her speculatively. 'Want to show them what a real duel looks like?'

Hermione smiled a little mischievously. 'All right, Mister Potter,' she said, standing. They took up places where Ron and Dean had dueled while the latter two looked on in great interest. Harry bowed impishly, his wand held in a dramatic position. 'Show off,' Hermione laughed, then leveled her wand. '_Petrificus Totalus! Stupefy!_'

The spells came at Harry so fast he didn't even have time to think, so he didn't. Running on instinct he dodged to the right to avoid the Body Bind then sucked in his stomach and leaned back to avoid the Stunner which passed so close it grazed his robes. He recovered in an instant, his wand aimed at Hermione. '_Expelliarmus!_'

Hermione easily blocked his spell, firing off another Stunner. Harry blocked this with a Shield Charm, causing it to ricochet off and almost hit Dean.

'Sorry!' Harry yelled at Dean, immediately sending an Impediment Jinx at Hermione, who dodged.

A peculiar feeling came over him as he dueled, like there was another awareness guiding his actions. It wasn't malevolent, more like a friendly hand guiding his. He concentrated on the feeling, and suddenly it was like time slowed down. He could see Hermione's arm moving forward, inscribing her wand through the air in the movements of the Disarming Hex. Before she had even finished the spell he had dodged to the side, still in that peculiar slow motion, and leveled his own wand.

'_Petrificus Totalus!_'

The spell caught Hermione completely by surprise; to her eyes, Harry had simply vanished from where he had been standing to reappear an instant later some three feet away and with his wand leveled. Before her spell had even reached where he had been standing her limbs sprang together and she found herself toppling forward, until Harry caught her and performed the counter curse.

'How did you do that?' she asked breathlessly as Ron and Dean hurried over.

'Do what?' Harry asked, confused.

'Move like that. I've never seen anyone move so fast.'

'Did I?' Harry asked in surprise.

Just then the bell rang. Hermione gave Harry a look that plainly said "this conversation isn't finished" as they packed their bags and hurried out, heading for the classroom Harry had decided to use for the magic part of his class.

When they got there, they found the room had been magically enlarged so it was now roughly the size of the Great Hall. Covering the floor were brightly coloured beanbags, and at the far end of the room where the teacher's desk would usually have been was a raised platform, almost like a stage. Tonks stood off to one side flipping her wand into the air and catching it again with a smile.

'Like it?' she asked, spreading her arms wide.

'Thanks,' Harry said a little uncertainly, 'but why?'

Tonks looked at him incredulously. 'When was the last time you looked at the sign up sheet?'

'Erm…' In fact, Harry hadn't looked at the sheet since before his time in the Hospital wing. 'A while ago?'

Tonks shook her head. 'Harry, there's over one hundred and fifty students coming today! I thought you knew that!'

Harry gaped at her.

'When they heard you'd faced Voldemort again on a dream plane, half the school signed up,' Ron said.

'You're really popular now, Harry. People are starting to see you as a symbol against Voldemort again,' Hermione added earnestly.

Harry looked around the room in panic. 'Oh hell.'

'It's alright Harry,' James said as he entered the room, obviously having caught his last comment. 'You've got lots of help. It'll be fine, you'll see. But the natives are getting restless,' he indicated the door behind him. 'You'd better let them in.'

'I'll get it,' Ron volunteered, heading for the door.

'I can't teach that many!' Harry whispered urgently to James. 'There were only about thirty last year!'

'Just don't panic!' James said sternly. 'These kids are relying on you to teach them how to stand up to Voldemort. What they learn in these classes from you may decide whether they live or die later, when they meet Death Eaters. Are you going to take that chance away from them?' He smiled reassuringly. 'Me and Tonks are here, but it's your show. We're just here for support.'

Harry couldn't reply as just then students from all four houses filed into the room, taking seats on the beanbags. James led Harry up to the dais, where they were joined by Tonks, Hermione, Ron and Ginny.

Finally all the students were seated. Harry saw Malfoy glaring at him from near the back, along with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle. Surprisingly, there were quite a few Slytherins, mostly from the lower year levels.

'Settle down!' James commanded, and immediately all conversation ceased. Harry looked at him gratefully. James winked, before continuing. 'You are all here to learn how to defend yourself from Voldemort and his Death Eaters.' To the student's credit, few flinched at the Dark Lord's name. 'Now, Harry here has agreed to teach you, as he has faced Voldemort many times and lived to tell –'

'Prove it!' A Slytherin girl stood abruptly. Harry recognised her as a fifth year Prefect. She had long black hair, and looked vaguely familiar. Angry mutterings filled the hall, and many Gryffindors and not a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were looking murderous.

'No, hear me out,' the girl held up her hands to pacify the crowd, although it didn't work. 'I'm just as willing to learn as the next person, but I want to know exactly what Potter's basing his knowledge on. What experience has he had? We know in a vague way that he's faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I want to know _specifics_.'

'Sit down and shut up, snake,' a yell came from the crowd, and Harry immediately scanned the room.

'Who said that?' he demanded.

'I did,' a fourth year Ravenclaw stood proudly, glaring at the Slytherin girl.

'Bigot,' she glared back.

'Traitor!' the Ravenclaw shot back.

'Twenty points from Ravenclaw,' Harry said through clenched teeth. The hall stared at him blankly, everyone totally confused that he would defend a Slytherin, no one more so than the Slytherins themselves. The Ravenclaw fourth year stared at him incredulously.

'But…it's only a Slytherin!' he spluttered.

'Five more points from Ravenclaw,' Harry said coldly. '_She_ is a person, not an it. Sit down and quit making a fool of yourself. Before I take more points.' The Ravenclaw sank down onto his beanbag again, and Harry noticed with some satisfaction that Michael Corner was glaring at him. The Slytherin girl, however, just looked confused.

'Your question is a good one,' Harry told her. 'If I was in your position, I'd want to know the same thing.' Harry sighed heavily, mentally preparing himself. He hadn't wanted to have to go through this, but quite obviously it would help his position. If the only way to teach them to defend themselves involved them putting him on a pedestal, so be it. He glanced sideways at Ginny, who smiled encouragingly. 'Very well, I'll tell you all the whole story.'

And he told them. He told them of the Philosopher's Stone in his first year, of saving Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets in his second. He glossed over the events of his third year, instead telling them about the end of his fourth, when Voldemort was resurrected in front of him, and the duel in the graveyard. His voice caught briefly as he described how Cedric had died, and he made a special point of not catching Cho's eyes. Finally he described what had happened at the Department of Mysteries, and his recent experiences on the Dream Plane.

By the time he had finished the entire hall was in stunned silence. Harry looked the Slytherin girl directly in the eyes and quietly asked, 'Does that answer your question?'

With some awe in her face she rose to her feet and gracefully curtsied. 'I would be honoured to learn from you,' she said in a choked voice. There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the assembled students.

'Good,' Harry said wearily. 'Then the effort wasn't wasted.' The bell rang for the end of class, and the students jumped as one. They had been so engrossed in Harry's story that they had obviously forgotten where they were. Almost reluctantly, it seemed, the students stood and began to file out of the room. Malfoy was one of the first out the door, shoving younger students out of his way in fury. Finally, when there were only a few people left, the Slytherin Prefect approached the dais where Harry was talking quietly with Ginny.

'Potter?' she started hesitantly. Harry looked up from Ginny.

'Yeah?'

'I just wanted to say sorry,' she muttered, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor.

'What for? As I said, in your situation I'd do the same.'

'Yeah, well…thanks for standing up for me, as well. Not many of you lot are that decent.'

He looked at the girl curiously. 'What's your name?'

'Isabelle,' she raised her head and looked him in the eye. 'Isabelle Lestrange.'

Harry rocked backwards as if she had slapped him. _Was she…she couldn't be, could she?_

'Are you…' he began weakly, but couldn't finish the sentence.

'Bellatrix Lestrange is my mother,' Isabelle confirmed. 'She went to Azkaban not long after I was born.'

'Oh.' Harry didn't know what to say. He could sense Ron and Hermione standing just behind him, and Ginny slightly off to one side. They all knew that Bellatrix had nearly killed him over the summer and had been the one that killed Sirius, and all three had tensed when Isabelle had told them her last name.

'See you around, Potter,' Isabelle said, quickly making her way out of the room. Harry just stared after her, at a total loss for words.

'You did good, Harry,' James said simply, laying one hand on Harry's shoulder. Ginny wormed her way into his arms, a smile tinged with pride on her lips.

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A/N: Major writers block on this chapter. I couldn't decide how I wanted to do it, but I think this works. Questions, comments, spelling errors (Dree!) are all welcome! Let me know what you think!

I just realised that I left out a word in the last chapter. Near the end, Ginny was supposed to be staring at 'the Ravenclaw table', not at 'the Ravenclaw' like it said before. She wasn't staring at Cho, she was staring at Michael. The error has been corrected.


	19. Advanced Defense Mark II

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: A bit of fluff, a bit of humour, a bit of plot, a bit of…well, that's it, really. Bah.

Dree:_ There's no slipping anything by you, is there?_

Tuesday's class was easier, although there were even more students than before; obviously word had spread of Harry's exploits. It was unavoidable, really, and if it helped the students learn, then so be it.

Harry split the students up into pairs and told them to practice their Disarming Hexes, much as he had on the first DA meeting. He appointed Hermione, Ron and Ginny to help he, James and Tonks as they circulated amongst those practicing, offering advice and demonstrations as they went. As he found other members of the DA he pressed them into service as well, and by the end of the class he had a small army of helpers.

Malfoy's scowl seemed to deepen as more students leapt at the chance to help Harry, who made a special point of loudly pointing out what Malfoy was doing wrong when he failed to Disarm Crabbe, culminating the lecture with a demonstration that sent Crabbe's wand soaring across the hall to hit Pansy Parkinson in the nose. As Harry was walking off, a pleased smile on his face, Malfoy leveled his wand at Harry's back but James spotted him.

'Twenty points from Slytherin, Mister Malfoy, and if that spell is launched it will be fifty and a detention,' he said calmly. Malfoy spluttered in rage, whirling and stalking off to a corner to sulk. Pansy glared at the Defense teacher before following.

'Lucky he's so annoyed at you,' Ginny whispered. 'Otherwise he wouldn't have been so obvious.' She frowned. 'It's funny though. I'm sure he knows how to disarm someone.'

At the end of the lesson, Harry and the DA members that had been helping him gathered near the front of the room with James and Tonks. Harry was the first to speak.

'Bad,' he said.

'Pitiful,' Hermione sniffed.

'Worse,' Ernie Macmillan agreed.

'Shocking,' Ginny finished.

'So what do we do?' Harry asked, his expression pained.

'Work with them,' James suggested. 'That's what this class is all about. Not getting through the exams, but actually being able to use these spells to defend themselves in the real world.'

'Yeah,' Ron agreed, 'a lot of these twits will need it.'

'Ron!' Hermione scolded.

'What? It's true,' Ron defended.

'He's right,' Tonks agreed. 'Umbridge did more damage here than I thought. Most of these students haven't cast a defensive spell in over a year, and they're woefully inept. If Voldemort attacked tomorrow, it would be you lot and the teachers against the Death Eaters. The rest of the students would be worse than useless.'

'So let's change that,' Harry suggested firmly.

'That's what we're here for,' James confirmed.

========

The following day, the _Daily Prophet_ reported another mass breakout from Azkaban. Harry sighed as he watched the picture of Bellatrix Lestrange glaring up at him, and he couldn't help but glance at Isabelle, who was scowling at her own copy of the _Prophet_. The breakout confirmed yet again, in Harry's eyes, Minister Fudge's incompetence.

As Ron had rather pointedly reminded Harry, Wednesday was Hermione's birthday, and there had been a huge party in the Gryffindor common room when someone "accidentally" let the date slip. After Harry's story, Hermione and Ron were almost as famous as he himself, and most of Gryffindor turned up. Someone had apparently been talking to the Milton twins, as they disappeared for an hour or so and returned laden down with Butterbeers and Honeydukes sweets, and followed by Dobby and several other house elves all carrying assorted food and drinks. When questioned, all they would say was that they had help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, and it confirmed Harry's suspicions, as he had yet to show the map to the twins. Dobby, of course, was ecstatic to be providing food for one of Harry's friends, even as Hermione looked the other way and pretended not to notice, a disapproving look on her face. She did eat the food, though.

By the end of the week, Harry was up to date with his school work. A particularly lenient Friday meant he had almost no homework for the weekend, and he stayed up late on Friday to get the small amount he did have done.

On Saturday morning there was a distinct cold snap in the air, announcing louder than words that autumn was well and truly here. Harry and Ginny went for a walk around the lake after lunch when the temperature had risen slightly. They walked in companionable silence for some time, just enjoying each other's company until Ginny finally spoke.

'I used to dream of this,' she said wistfully, linking her hand with his. 'The two of us, just being together like this. I never thought it would actually happen.'

Harry laughed quietly. 'Neither did I,' he admitted. 'My dreams tended to involve Cho, actually.' His voice was sad as he spoke, and Ginny squeezed his hand. 'But when I woke up in the Hospital wing, you were there. I don't think Cho would have done what you did.'

Ginny groaned. 'I can't believe I screamed at Dumbledore!' They shared a laugh, but it didn't last long.

'Cho would have been really logical,' Harry said pensively. 'She would have decided there wasn't any point in waiting in the Hospital wing for me to wake up, and would have asked Madam Pomfrey to get her when I did wake.'

'I couldn't stand it,' Ginny said in a small voice. 'Knowing you were lying there going through God knows what and I couldn't help you. I just wanted to scream. I couldn't leave, I had to stay in case you woke up. I thought…' She trailed off, gazing out over the lake, and her eyes filled with tears. 'I thought I'd lost you,' she whispered.

Harry stopped walking and pulled her into his arms. As during his duel with Hermione, Harry could feel another awareness behind his own as he held Ginny close. It was gentle, compassionate, but with a touch of fire. It seemed to guide his hand as he stroked her hair softly. Ginny sobbed quietly, her arms sliding around his neck. She lifted her face and kissed him, and Harry could taste the saltiness of her tears on her lips.

'I'm not going anywhere,' Harry assured her gently, catching her chin and lifting her face.

She sniffed. 'Promise?'

'Promise,' Harry said firmly, leaning down to kiss her again, all thoughts of Cho Chang and the strange awareness forgotten.

========

The first Gryffindor Quidditch practice went smoothly. Harry was pleased with the way his new team worked together. The Milton twins were superb; almost as good as the Weasley twins. Their intimidation style tactics never ceased to amaze Harry. Instead of actually hitting the Chasers with the Bludgers, they would use the heavy iron balls to maneuver players. The technique worked amazingly well, repeatedly forcing the Chasers to flinch.

Ginny, Melinda and Greg worked well together, too. Although Melinda was only a second year, she was light and speedy, darting through the mass on her Nimbus 2001 with considerable skill. She was much louder than her sister, Harry noticed, yelling complaints or compliments to her team-mates as they practiced, and always laughing. Harry remembered rather painfully the previous year, when every time he had gone near Cho, she had acted like a human downspout. Thinking back, he realised he had only ever seen her really laugh a few times. He firmly closed the door on that train of thought.

Greg, on the other hand, was huge. A fifth year and obviously a gym buff, he was easily twice Ron's size at the same height, and Ron wasn't really all that small. Harry once saw him casually backhand a Bludger and send it rocketing back at Cassie, who grinned and sent it back, until the two were playing a kind of tennis. It had ended about five minutes later when Greg had complained that his hand was starting to hurt. Despite looking like a meat head, however, Harry found him to be a generally quiet boy, with an intense loyalty to his house and friends. He wasn't the cleverest, but he made up for it with his other traits.

For the most part, predictably, Harry's attention remained on Ginny. Whenever he tried to focus on the game, his eyes would almost automatically seek her out, and he would sit idly on his broom watching her play until Alex or Cassie would wake him up by sending a Bludger his way. Then he would fly down the other end of the field and stop to contemplate Ginny again.

She really was brilliant on a broom. Right now she was teaching the other Chasers to perform an accurate reverse pass. Idly he wondered what Mrs. Weasley would say if she saw him ogling her daughter like he was now, and couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Harry was so caught up in watching her that he didn't notice the Milton twins creeping up behind him, holding a small box between them and with identical grins on their faces.

Ever so slowly they extended the box until they were only inches from Harry, and then they touched it with their wands.

Harry almost leapt off his broom when there was a huge sound from right behind him. He dove away sharply, his hand going automatically into his robes for his wand. Without looking he shot a Stunner over his shoulder, then pulled his broom up sharply and turned to look.

Cassie was holding her twin on his broom with one hand, and trying to stifle her laughter with the other. Alex was lolling sideways, obviously unconscious. Suspended in the air in front of them, in red neon letters, were the words "WAKE UP HARRY!"

'He was laughing too hard to see the Stunner coming,' Cassie said through her giggles as Ginny, Greg and Melinda flew over to find out what was happening.

'Wake up?' Ginny asked curiously, glancing sideways at Harry who had suddenly turned a similar bright red to the suspended sign.

'Umm…' he started nervously.

'Oh,' Ginny said, trying to suppress her own grin and failing miserably. 'I see.'

Greg was watching Harry shrewdly. 'Too busy watching your girlfriend to play Quidditch, Potter? Never though I'd see the day. Merlin, you've got it bad.'

The whole team minus Harry cracked up, Cassie so badly that she almost lost her grip on Alex, who swayed dangerously until Harry came forward to take him to the ground, his face and ears burning.

'Aw, cheer up Harry,' Ginny said, following and helping him get Alex safely to the ground. 'They're just jealous,' she breathed into his ear. If anything, Harry blushed harder.

Ginny laughed quietly. 'You're cute when you blush,' she said, kissing him on the cheek, which earned the couple more laughter and catcalls from above, mostly from Cassie. Melinda was just watching the two, a thoughtful frown on her face, and Greg was smiling indulgently.

Harry turned to Alex, of a mind to levitate his body to the Hospital wing, and came face to face with James.

'Professor Milton!' Harry blurted.

'Yes, that's me,' he said with a smile. 'Dismissed,' he said to Greg and Melinda, who flew down and headed for the change rooms. 'I couldn't help but notice that my wayward son is unconscious during your first practice session.' James continued when they had disappeared. 'Care to explain why?'

Harry stared at him blankly, his mind frozen. His mouth, obviously wanting to fill the void, started babbling incoherently.

James grinned. 'Settle, Potter. I saw the whole thing.' He shook his head. 'Honestly, you look like you've been caught doing something you shouldn't have been doing.' He threw a sideward glance at Ginny, who smiled innocently.

'Cassie! Come here,' James called, and his daughter obediently flew down.

'What?'

'Nothing,' James smirked. 'I just wanted you both in range.' Cassie's eyes widened in realisation and she turned her broom to fly away, but James was too quick. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly both Cassie and Alex's black hair turned a violent shade of pink. At the same instant, Alex awoke.

'Whasamatta?' he said blearily as he sat up. A strand of shoulder length pink hair fell into his face, jolting him fully awake. 'Aww, not again.'

'You know the rules,' James said, helping Alex to his feet. 'You can play all the jokes you want, but if I catch you then it's pink hair for the rest of the day.'

'Thanks Dad,' Cassie said resignedly, fingering a lock of her fluorescent hair.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other and concealed grins.

__

A/N: Sorry folks, I'm in a silly mood today. Hence the fluorescent pink hair.

As usual, questions, comments, flames all welcome (well, not so much the flames, but constructive criticism never went astray).


	20. Hogsmeade

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Greetings all! Yet another glance into the weird and wacky world of my imagination combined with the genius of J. K. Rowling. I think we may need a fallout shelter…

Apologies in advance for any…shall we say, weirdness in this chapter. My only excuse is that I just re-read the entire Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (all five books). Blame Marvin, or possibly Fenchurch. Maybe Zaphod. Bah!

athenakitty: _They already knew about the Marauders, James told them. But if you look in one of the books Fred and George say exactly the same thing when they supply the foodstuffs for a party (PoA, I think, after one of the Quidditch matches and after Harry gets the map). Sorry, it was supposed to be obviously the Weasley twins._

Blue/Whimsical Firefly: _(stalks off muttering about insane FEMALE reviewers)_

To everyone else in regards to above: Don't ask. Please.

The following weekend was the promised Hogsmeade trip. An hour before the students were scheduled to leave the castle, Professor Milton gathered a group of students in the Entrance Hall. They had all received a badge in the Owl Post that morning that reminded Harry of a policeman's badge, which was exactly what it was supposed to remind people of.

'All right,' James said without preamble when the fifteen students were all present. 'You lot are going to be in charge of things today, alright?' Fifteen nods later, he continued. 'Keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious, and the instant something happens send up red sparks. The teachers will be waiting for that signal. The other students will be instructed to find one of you if they happen across anything.' He looked sternly around at the group. 'Got it?'

'Yes sir,' Harry assured him for the group. The letters accompanying the badges had already gone into detail, and Harry himself knew the plans backwards, having had a large hand in their formulation three days ago after several hours closeted with James and Dumbledore. Taking the idea from Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad the previous year, they had decided that the best students from Harry's Advanced Defense classes would form a sort of elite force that would answer directly to Harry. Harry himself had objected to the idea until Dumbledore pointed out that the students already looked up to him and would be much more likely to bring any problems they came across to him, rather than to a teacher.

'Good,' James smiled. 'Knew I could count on you lot. Alright, head on down now. The other students won't be far behind.'

The group making their way out of the castle had been hand picked by Harry and James, and were some of the best students currently attending Hogwarts. Jokingly called Dumbledore's Army after the fiasco last year, they were also almost exclusively ex-DA members. The only exception was Isabelle Lestrange, who had been included at Harry's prompting. Her solitary green trimmed robes contrasted starkly against the sea of red, blue and yellow. Over the last couple of weeks, the fifth year Slytherin had shown that she was almost a match for Hermione's intelligence, and she had an intimate knowledge of the Dark Arts, probably a legacy from her family. She seemed to be out to prove something, and although she usually tended to keep herself aloof from other people, she seemed to be going out of her way to befriend Harry.

Ron, of course, had immediately become suspicious. He had started sprouting wild theories about Isabelle's motives until Hermione had told him to stop being silly. Then he had gone very red in the face and stalked off, muttering to himself.

All that was forgotten now as the group walked to Hogsmeade. Almost automatically, the students had formed up around Harry, who found himself walking right at the middle of the group with Ginny on one side and Isabelle on the other. Ron and Hermione were walking a little apart from the rest, their heads close together. As Harry looked around at the grim expressions that even the Milton twins wore, he realised that without exception this group would defend him to the death, and the thought both relieved and sickened him.

'What's wrong, Harry?' Ginny asked quietly, noticing his faraway look.

'Nothing,' Harry said quickly, hauling his thought back into the present. 'Just…thinking.'

Ginny was shrewd enough not to press him into speaking, so settled for linking her hand with his. On his other side, Isabelle leaned in close and whispered into his ear as they passed through the main gates.

'Do you think the Dark Lord will attack?' she asked as if she were inquiring about the weather. She obviously feared Voldemort not at all.

'No idea,' Harry answered honestly. 'I suppose it would make sense, but I hope he doesn't.'

'Approaching the wards,' Ernie Macmillan's voice came from the front of the group. Looking around cautiously, the students crossed the invisible line and stood tensely, their wands out and trained on the surrounding trees.

'He's not going to attack here!' Harry said loudly, causing several people near him to jump. 'Come on, we have to keep going. I want to check the village first.' The teachers had already done a sweep of Hogsmeade that morning, but where the student's safety was concerned Harry didn't want to take any chances.

A thorough search turned up nothing. They met again in the village square as the rest of the Hogwarts students began to arrive in small groups.

'Alright,' Harry said tersely. 'Split up into pairs. Each pair can take an area or a shop, so we have everywhere covered. I'll stay around here, so if anyone needs me they'll know where to look. Okay?' Everyone nodded. 'Come on then, we have a village to protect.'

In pairs, the members of "Dumbledore's Army" split up and scattered through the village, leaving Harry, Ginny and Isabelle alone in the square. The Slytherin shrugged at Harry's inquiring look.

'There's an odd number of students,' she explained, and Harry nodded.

'Okay, you're with us,' he motioned to Ginny, who was looking less than pleased at the third member of their party.

'It's alright, Weasley,' Isabelle said with a half smile. 'I'm not out to steal your boyfriend, so stop glaring at me.' Ginny immediately blushed bright red.

'Don't you forget, _my_ boyfriend,' she growled, linking her arm firmly through Harry's, who stared at her blankly. She had never been that possessive before. He shook his head wryly; he'd _never_ understand women. Everything else aside, it still felt very odd to be referred to as a "boyfriend", and his mind was still having trouble with "girlfriend" being a label that could be applied to Ginny.

Isabelle shook her head in amusement. 'Gryffindors,' she muttered. 'I'll take the other side of the square, then. Younger Slytherins will come to me when they wouldn't come to you, anyway.'

'Okay,' Harry consented. 'Be careful.'

'I'm always careful,' Isabelle's pale features formed a smirk that reminded Harry sharply of her mother. The Slytherin turned and walked over to the other side of the square, where she sat on a bench and rested her back against a wall, watching the milling crowds of students with a watchful eye.

'Do you really think she can be trusted?' Ginny asked uncertainly as she and Harry sat on a similar bench.

'Absolutely,' he said firmly. 'She's about as like her mother as you are to Draco Malfoy. I spoke to Professor Dumbledore about it, and he agreed.'

Ginny nodded resolutely. 'If you and Dumbledore say she can be trusted, she can be trusted,' she said, laying her head down on Harry's shoulder. He tilted his head slightly so it rested on top of hers.

'Don't know why I'm trusting Dumbledore's opinion,' Harry said with a sudden trace of bitterness in his voice. 'He trusts Snape.'

Ginny growled softly under her breath. 'Greasy git,' she said darkly.

Suddenly she tensed, her body going rigid against his. Her head snapped up, colliding painfully with his chin, but she didn't seem to notice.

'Ginny!' Harry rubbed his chin. 'What are you doing?' She didn't answer. He stood and faced her, and was surprised to see her eyes closed and her lips moving. He immediately remembered the morning during the holidays when she had been "talking" in her sleep, and decided to wait her out.

After a moment, she stood and began to walk across the square, her eyes closed and her mouth still silently forming words. For a brief moment as he hurried after her, Harry wished he could lip read. People seemed to melt out of their path as Ginny walked towards the edge of the village.

'Ginny!' Harry yelled, grabbing her arm. She hissed at him, her hand suddenly swiping at his arm, leaving long bloody gashes where her fingernails dug in. Harry completely ignored the pain, twisting her around so she was facing away from him and tightly pinning her arms to her sides. She kicked him sharply in the shins and he winced, almost letting her go.

'Harry?' Isabelle came running up from the other side of the square. One look at Ginny's face and she immediately sent up red sparks.

'Keep her there!' Isabelle commanded, as other DA members came sprinting from all directions. Students were beginning to gather, trying to see what was happening. 'It's a possession spell,' Isabelle continued in a hushed voice that only Harry could hear. Ginny was still fighting him, trying to get away. 'It's very hard to cast, and it takes a long time to implement. You have to talk to her! Snap her out of it!'

'Ginny!' Harry said sharply, shaking the struggling girl in his arms. 'Listen to me!' She hissed at him again, and Harry was astonished to find that he understood her. She was speaking Parseltounge! Suddenly it all clicked into place.

'_Voldemort!_' Harry hissed. '_I know you can hear me! Let her go, NOW!_' Harry was only vaguely aware of Isabelle trying to keep Ron and Hermione from reaching them.

Ginny stopped struggling, and her eyes finally opened. They were no longer the chocolate brown Harry knew, but red slits. '_Potter…so nice to see you again._'

'Let her go!' Harry shouted in English as Dumbledore, James, Professor McGonagall and Snape appeared nearby.

'_I don't think so, Potter_,' Ginny smiled thinly. '_I think I might have a little fun with your_…_girlfriend first._'

And suddenly Ginny screamed, her body writhing in Harry's arms. There was nothing he could do, only watch helplessly as her eyes, back to their normal brown, pleaded with him to stop the pain.

'NO! GET OUT!' Harry screamed, and was driven to his knees as a massive burst of power surged out of him and into Ginny. Instantly she sagged down against him, panting heavily. There was a disembodied scream that echoed loudly around the square, and quite a few students fainted as a wave of magical energy engulfed them. The scream faded slowly, and Ginny sank into unconsciousness.

He could have used magic. Any number of the people surrounding him could have done it. But Harry chose not to. Instead, he tenderly picked Ginny up, snarling at Dumbledore as he tried to approach, and carried the girl up to the castle the old fashioned way, totally unaware of a platinum haired boy smirking in the crowd.

========

All through the day and the following night, Harry sat with Ginny in the Hospital wing. She had yet to move an inch, and he was desperately worried. When Dumbledore tried to talk with him he had pulled his wand on the older wizard, who had wisely chosen to continue the discussion at a later date. Some hours ago Ron and Hermione had entered the Hospital wing and without saying a word had stationed themselves on the opposite side of Ginny to where Harry sat. They had yet to speak, for which Harry was terribly grateful, and were doing a good job of keeping the unwelcome visitors away.

Isabelle had stopped by briefly, not at all fazed when Ron told her to piss off. 'I just wanted to tell Harry that what he did today was amazing,' she said calmly. 'I don't think he realises that. If he hadn't done whatever he did, Ginny would have died.'

With that she had turned and left the room, leaving a flabbergasted Ron staring after her.

And all the while, Harry sat and held Ginny's hand, waiting for her to wake.

A/N: Okay, the DA (as in Dumbledore's Army) will be an ongoing thing, so I'll list the members here. Kind of an Anti-Inquisitorial Squad. ;) Sorry I didn't explain it better in the story itself, but I had brain freeze. Oh well. (Ducks the rotten fruit suddenly pelting his way, running for the fallout shelter and slamming the door) It's Firefly's fault, I tells ya! Her fault!

Bloody hell I need sleep.

The DA consists of: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginevra Weasley, Isabelle Lestrange, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Padma Patil, Alexander Milton, Cassandra Milton, Dean Thomas, Zacharias Smith, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstien. Cho was offered a position, but refused, hence the odd number.

Is it just my imagination, or did the Fanfiction logo used to be green?


	21. Close Encounters Of The Dream Kind

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Massive, MASSIVE thank you to Whimsical Firefly_, who is the single reason this chapter is posted and not stuffed in the Recycle Bin. So in honour of that fact, this chapter is dedicated to her. THANK YOU! (Bows in the general direction of Queensland)_

Whimsical Firefly 

Dree:_ That's an interesting one, actually. Spellcheck didn't like it either, but I'm pretty sure it can be used both ways, like an expression. Hmm…oh well, too bad. ;)_

charmedunderharry'sspell: _Ye gads, that's a mouthful. And you English suck at every sport, not just Rugby. Look at you Cricket team, and you INVENTED the bloody game! The Aussies are unbeatable. Just telling it like it is. Sorry. :p_

Iain Alkatrallm:_ I grew up in the Blue Mountains, so greetings to an ex-neighbor! Well, almost…_

Poohdog: _Isabelle's past will be revealed soon. As for your other questions, well, you'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?_

CreativeQuill: _That, my friend, was called a super mild cliff hanger. And whoever said Isabelle was brought up in the Death Eater inner circle? Her mother was in Azkaban, and her father (CENSORED) Oops… When she said the younger Slytherins would come to her and not Harry, she meant because he's a Gryffindor, and Harry Potter to boot. They would be more likely to come to someone of their own house. _

Lets get on with it! There used to be lyrics in this chapter, and it made a whole lot more sense with them in here, but since is being so bloody anal I removed them. If they still have a problem, I'll quite happily tell them where they can stick it._

* * *

_

Darkness.

Silence.

Slowly Ginny's eyes opened. She knew immediately where she was. _Hospital wing…_

Her head was throbbing painfully, and her eyes hurt. Not from light, because there was none, but just…pain.

The even sound of breathing came from one side of her bed, and she tilted her head to get a better look. Harry was slumped in a chair, his head lolling forwards and his hand still loosely gripping her own.

He's here. He's with me.

Suddenly the pain didn't seem important anymore. She settled back down, a contented smile on her face, and drifted off to sleep.

Sunlight was streaming in through the windows when Harry suddenly bolted upright. His neck cracked alarmingly, and his free hand rubbed it absently. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he had been exhausted after…whatever he'd done back in the village.

He could feel it there now, like an awakened serpent. A mass of power just beyond his reach, but ready to strike on his command. He didn't know what the hell it was, and frankly he didn't care. His thoughts dwelt on the girl in the bed before him.

It may have been his imagination, but he was pretty sure she hadn't been smiling in her sleep last night.

The next time Ginny became aware of her surroundings, bright light was making her eyes prickle even through her eyelids. She squinted them tightly shut, and heard movement next to the bed.

'Ginny?' Harry's voice seemed abnormally loud on her ears. She tried to open her eyes but the sunlight was like twin daggers stabbing directly into her brain. She squinted them shut again.

'Hurts…' she mumbled. Harry muttered something, and the room was suddenly soothingly dark. She opened her eyes and found that Harry had sealed all the windows shut with a layer of stone.

'Harry…' she breathed, mutely raising her arms slightly. He sighed with relief, leaning forwards and taking her into his arms. There was a brilliant flash of light, and before either knew what was happening they both blacked out. When Hermione and Ron entered the Hospital wing a few minutes later, both had vanished.

Once again Harry found himself on the featureless white plane, but this time Voldemort was nowhere to be seen and Harry wasn't alone.

Ginny stood at his side, her eyes wide as she looked around in confusion. Sirius stood slightly off to one side, a dark look on his face. Only James looked at ease with their predicament. His arms were folded as if he were waiting for something.

'Harry?' Ginny asked nervously. 'Where are we?'

'The Dream Plane,' a voice answered. Harry looked up to see a man striding towards them across the emptiness. He wore long, archaic robes of a deep scarlet, his sweeping chestnut beard was longer than Dumbledore's, and a very familiar sword was belted at his waist.

'Godric Gryffindor, at your service,' the man bowed grandly as he reached them, sweeping one hand out in front of him. Harry and Ginny could only stare in dumb disbelief.

'I was wondering how long it would take,' James commented.

Gryffindor smiled knowingly. 'You always were too clever for your own good, James. Or should I say, Joseph?'

'It's James in this particular time and place,' James said firmly.

Gryffindor shrugged. 'As you wish.'

'What are you doing here, Gryffindor?' Sirius growled. 'This isn't what we agreed on.'

'Sometimes even the best plans change,' Gryffindor sighed. 'It has become necessary that we tell them, now, so that they can take full advantage of the opportunities being presented to them.'

'Excuse me?' Ginny said politely. 'Tell us what?' Harry could tell from her voice that she thought she was going insane.

Gryffindor looked at her penetratingly. 'She is fit,' he said finally. 'She has beauty beyond our expectations, but also a hint of steel. She will be perfect.'

Ginny blushed at his words, her eyes lowering.

'And Mister Potter,' Gryffindor turned to Harry, who was still staring at the scarlet robed man in disbelief. He couldn't quite persuade himself that what he was seeing was real.

'I'm quite real, Harry, at least on this particular plane.' He smiled indulgently. 'I believe you are more than ready to accept full responsibility for who and what you are.'

'Are you sure…' Sirius started, but Harry cut him off.

'Who am I, then? And where's Voldemort?' he demanded.

Gryffindor chuckled lightly. 'The Dark Lord is not the only one who can create a Dream,' he said, then stepped forward and placed one hand on Harry's shoulder and raised his free hand, placing the palm against Harry's forehead. 'As to who you are…you are my heir,' he said simply, and blue light engulfed his hand, flowing into Harry's head.

Several things clicked into place in Harry's mind, and quite suddenly he _knew_.

It was as if a door had suddenly opened in his mind, a door that led to unimaginable power that had always been sealed tight. His eyes wide and his breath coming in sharp bursts, he felt power beyond his wildest dreams coursing through his veins, and his mind shied back from the immensity of it.

'Harry?' Ginny took his hand, seeing the almost frightened look on Harry's face.

Harry closed his eyes, and suddenly the hair on the back of Ginny's neck stood on end as a massive wave of power radiated out from raven-haired boy. Suddenly it wasn't an empty whiteness anymore. They stood in the middle of an immense forest, surrounded by massive trees fully a thousand feet tall. Flowers the size of cars bloomed nearer the ground, and brightly coloured birds flitted through the lower branches, their calls filling the forest with noise. The whole scene just reeked of life, and Gryffindor looked at Harry proudly.

'You see, my son?' he beamed, throwing his arms into the air. 'You see what you will be capable of?'

Harry was staring at his outstretched hands in disbelief. 'How?' he whispered.

Gryffindor's face grew guarded. 'Now that I cannot tell you,' he said regretfully. 'You must learn this on your own.'

'I don't think you'd want to know, anyway,' Sirius said bitterly.

Gryffindor caught Harry's eyes. 'A thousand years ago, on the thirty-first of July, a Prophecy was made. It spoke of a boy who would defeat a great evil that would engulf the land. It was very specific in how we would recognise this boy, and who would help him on his quest. It mentioned a Guide, a Mentor, and a Huntress, amongst others.'

'A Prophecy about a Prophecy?' Harry asked, a little incredulously.

'More like a set of instructions,' Gryffindor corrected, 'a map to help the one who would come to stop the great evil which, quite obviously, is you, Harry.'

'Who made the prophecy?' Ginny demanded.

'I did,' Gryffindor said simply. 'We have identified these three main helpers, and we felt it time for you to know.'

'Who?'

Gryffindor smiled. 'Your Godfather Sirius Black is the Guide.'

Sirius snorted. 'And I'm doing a bang up job, too,' he said bitterly.

'Mr. James Milton is the Mentor.'

'Speaking,' James said with a faint smile.

'And Miss Ginevra Weasley is the Huntress.'

'Me?' Ginny's eyes went very wide.

'Yes, you,' Gryffindor said with a smile. 'I have every confidence in your abilities, Miss Weasley. I am sure you will complete your appointed tasks perfectly.'

'What tasks?' Ginny demanded, her eyes afire with curiosity.

Gryffindor smiled faintly in a way so like James that Harry almost laughed. 'That would be telling,' he said with a twinkle in his eye that was very reminiscent of Dumbledore.

'Now,' he continued, 'if you'll all excuse me, I'd like a word with my heir.' James and Sirius wavered and vanished. Ginny wavered, but Harry concentrated briefly and she solidified again. Gryffindor raised one eyebrow.

'Anything I know, she knows too,' Harry said firmly, his arm going around her shoulder. She smiled gratefully at him.

'As you wish,' Gryffindor nodded. He raised one hand, and one of the car sized flowers transmuted into two comfy looking lounges. 'Will you sit?' he motioned to the lounges, taking a seat himself after removing his sword belt and laying it aside. Harry and Ginny sat on the other.

'I imagine this is all coming as a bit of a shock, Harry,' Gryffindor said gently.

'You could say that, yeah,' Harry's head was still spinning wildly, trying to sort everything out. He wasn't making much progress.

Gryffindor sighed, clasping his hands together. 'I'm sorry to just dump all this on you at once, but you have to believe it is necessary. I believe it is better for you to know now, so you can begin to make preparations for later.'

'Yeah,' Harry said, thinking back to his explosion in Dumbledore's office at the end of last year. 'Yeah, it is better to know.'

Gryffindor staring piercingly at him. 'This isn't going to be easy, Harry,' he warned. 'Here on the Dream Plane your powers are easy to control. In the real world it doesn't work like that. The Powers That Be have agreed to amplify your abilities in accordance with the Prophecy, but the human mind cannot handle power of the kind I'm talking about. Perhaps some will manifest under your direct control, but most will stay separate from you, almost as a separate entity altogether. It will obey your wishes, but it will read your wishes from your emotions. You will have to learn self control, Harry, otherwise you could seriously hurt someone.'

Harry nodded slowly. 'I understand,' he said hollowly.

Gryffindor smiled faintly. 'I believe you do. You have felt it already, haven't you?'

Harry nodded again. 'In the village, when Ginny was in trouble. I wanted Voldemort gone, and he just kind of…went.'

Gryffindor smiled at Ginny. 'Already your task has begun,' he said cryptically, then spoke to Harry. 'This is what I mean. If you had wished harm on a student instead of wellbeing, the student would be in trouble. Do you understand?'

'I think so,' Harry said wryly. 'It may take a few days to sink in.'

Gryffindor laughed heartily. 'Fair enough,' he said, his eyes twinkling again. 'Now I believe it is time for you both to return to Hogwarts.'

'One more thing,' Harry said suddenly. 'Why does my power feel like a snake?'

Gryffindor looked startled, then closed his eyes briefly. 'Ah,' he said finally, opening them again. 'Do you remember the Basilisk you slew in the Chamber of Secrets?'

Harry felt Ginny tense beside him. 'Yes, I remember,' he said shortly.

'It appears to have been impressed with you,' Gryffindor said, his smile back. 'Apparently it volunteered to become your Familiar Spirit.'

'My what?' It was Harry's turn to be startled.

'It has become the repository for all your extra power,' Gryffindor explained. 'It is the Basilisk who wields that power for your benefit, and that is why the power feels snake-like, because it is.'

Suddenly Harry felt something thump him in the chest. He almost leapt out of his seat, scrabbling in his robes for whatever it was, and pulled out the amulet Ginny had given him for his birthday. Only now, it had changed.

Before, the amulet had depicted the Sword of Gryffindor, point down, with a crown around the hilt and a snake biting it's own tail surrounding the whole thing. Now, entwined with the sword was another serpent, this one depicting a Basilisk complete with emerald eyes.

'Now is the true form of the talisman revealed,' Gryffindor said softly. He smiled apologetically at Ginny. 'I'm sorry I had to use you to create it, Miss Weasley, but that's how these things work.'

'Mr. Gryffindor? Umm…sir?' Ginny started hesitantly.

'I know what you are going to ask,' he said kindly, 'and the answer is no, he cannot.' Ginny breathed a huge sigh of relief, and Harry looked puzzled. 'Let me explain something,' Gryffindor went on. 'Voldemort has no concept of what Love is. Lust yes, but Love? No. It can be one of his greatest weaknesses, if you can find a way to exploit it. Keep in mind that most of his followers follow out of fear alone, they hold no love for him.' He looked piercingly at Harry. 'That is where you are very, very different, Harry. Your people follow you out of love. What you and Miss Weasley feel is entirely of your own making. Voldemort had no part in it.'

He smiled at them as the forest dissolved, and Harry closed his eyes, keeping a tight grip on Ginny. When he opened them again they were in the Forbidden Forest some distance from the castle. Harry was lying on his back on the loam and Ginny was on top of him.

'How did we get here?' Ginny asked, her arms still tightly around Harry's neck.

'No idea,' Harry breathed, his face inches from hers. 'I don't know about you, but I'm not one to waste a happy opportunity.' He smiled up at her, and closed the distance to her lips.

From far back in the trees there came the thudding of many hooves. Harry and Ginny sprang apart and scrambled to their feet, each going for their wand.

Suddenly the trees seemed to erupt as fully fifty centaurs charged towards them, pulling up sharply a few feet away. Bane was leading the group, and he stepped forward now to face Harry.

'You are trespassing in our woods,' he said flatly, ignoring the two wands trained on him.

'They're not your woods,' Ginny shot back. 'They're on Hogwarts grounds, so they're actually _our_ woods!' She pointed to the Hogwarts Crest on her uniform.

Bane's eyes went wide with rage. 'Impudent human!' he roared, and two centaurs grabbed Ginny from behind. She dropped her wand, trying in vain to kick at the centaurs.

'Touch one hair on her head and you will regret it,' Harry said in a deadly voice, and within him he felt the sleeping serpent stir. Suddenly the centaurs released Ginny, shaking their hands as if burned and glaring at Harry.

'You dare use magic on us, human?' one snarled as Ginny grabbed her wand and hurried to Harry's side, who ignored the centaur and sent Ginny a look of concern. She smiled back, although it was slightly strained.

'Move, please,' Harry said in the same quiet voice to Bane, who shifted slightly before his nostrils flared.

'I am not a common mule to be used by a human!' he flared. 'Take them! Kill the girl first!'

As several centaurs moved forward, their bows at the ready, Harry felt a rage within him that flared brightly, forcing the serpent to react. Bane was suddenly knocked off his feet, sent flying into a tree some ten feet away. The centaurs that had been about to grab Ginny again suffered a similar fate.

There was a collective roar of rage from the gathered centaurs, and as one they charged forward, only to slam into an invisible wall and fall backward three feet from where Harry and Ginny stood. By now Bane was back on his feet, watching the two with a mix of awe and fear.

'You are the one,' he whispered. 'He is the one! He has the mark of the serpent!' he cried, and all movement stopped. 'Touch him not,' Bane commanded, then suddenly shocked both teens by bowing to Harry. 'You are free to pass through the forest at any time, Master,' he said wonderingly, and one by one the rest of the centaurs joined him in his bow. Harry stared at them, bewildered, as they rose and melted back into the trees.

He turned to look at Ginny, who was blinking rapidly as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. 'What the hell was that all about?' she demanded. 'The one what?'

'I have no idea,' Harry said honestly. 'I think it's time to speak to my Mentor.'

_A/N: Cripes, longest one yet. Finally found a way around the Superman Syndrome! Don't give Harry control over his powers…muahahahahaha! Lots of weirdness and fun stuff imminent!_

_Thanks again to _Firefly!_ Anyone who doesn't like this chapter, blame her! (Ducks into fallout shelter as the much discused chainsaw comes flying at his head) Ack!_


	22. Reality

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Finally, here is yet another chapter for your enjoyment! Well, that's the theory, anyway. Umm…yes. Sorry, I was going to post this last night but I was busy getting pissed. You know how that goes.

Melindaleo: _Thanks for reading! Wow, I didn't think you'd go quite so full out with the reviews…not that I'm complaining. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story (and don't let it distract you from your own!!!) As to Michael and Cho…let's just say, I have hankering for some Michael torture…stupid git…_

siriusblack08: _(blinks) erm…no, Ginny's task is not to have children with Harry. Not that she'd complain, I'm sure, but they're just a little too young to be thinking about that, and Ginny has already started her task (although it's not what you'd think…)_

Alima: _You are seriously weird._

windsweptstars: Boring? How dare you? (Stalks off muttering to himself and gesturing wildly) ;)

Evansk: _Of course Australia is better, everyone knows that. ;) Seriously though, I usually update a couple of times a week (more if I can) so fear not! I know what you mean about long waits…_

There were more, but I don't have time to answer now! Sorry! Next chapter…

Their search for James proved fruitless, as they had barely walked into the castle when Ron and Hermione came sprinting down the stairs with calls of, 'Harry! Ginny!'

'Where have you two been?' Hermione demanded, noting the long bloody scratch along Ginny's forearm where a stubborn bush had grabbed her as she and Harry had made their way out of the forest. The bush no longer existed; the Basilisk had overreacted at seeing Ginny in "danger" and turned it to dust, taking the sleeve of Ginny's robes with it. Harry could tell already that this would take some getting used to.

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'You wouldn't believe it, Hermione,' she shook her head ruefully. 'Honestly, you wouldn't.'

Ron looked at them suspiciously. 'Have you been out in the forest snogging?'

Harry almost choked on that but Ginny just smiled sweetly. 'Oh course not, dear brother,' she said in honeyed tones. 'That's what we're going to do now!' She turned and pulled Harry into a kiss, much to his surprise. His arms flailed about for a few seconds before settling around Ginny.

'Get a room, you two,' Alex said as he and Cassie came out of the Great Hall. Ron had turned around and was now resolutely staring at the far wall, muttering to himself while Hermione was trying not to laugh.

When Harry and Ginny parted, she was wearing a sly smile and he a silly grin.

'It's all right now Ron, they've stopped trying to suck each other's tonsils out,' Cassie said, obviously with a great effort not to laugh as she spoke. Ron half-turned and glared at her as Harry and Ginny blushed.

'Oh, grow up Ron,' Hermione said exasperatedly.

'Before this turns into a full scale riot,' Harry said pointedly, turning to Alex and Cassie. 'Do either of you know where your father is?'

'Nope,' Cassie shook her head.

'Not a clue,' Alex agreed. 'Vanished this morning, funnily enough about the same time as you two. Care to comment?'

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other. 'Later,' Ginny said shortly.

'Fair enough,' Cassie said.

'Now if you'll excuse us,' Alex grinned evilly.

'We have a ferret to torment,' Cassie finished with an identical grin, and the two slipped down the stairs leading to the dungeons.

'What's Malfoy done now?' Harry asked as the remaining four headed for the marble staircase.

Ron scowled. 'When you, Ginny and Professor Milton vanished at the same time, he said something stupid about a threesome.'

'What?' Harry asked, startled.

'McGonagall overheard though,' Hermione added. 'He got a detention and lost twenty points.'

'Did Slytherin even _have_ twenty points left?' Ginny asked with a half smile.

'Nope,' Harry said serenely. 'For some reason, they keep losing them. Oh wait, that's Malfoy too.' So far to date, Harry had taken almost a hundred points from Malfoy, and it was only the fourth week of classes. The four Gryffindor's shared a laugh as they headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

They spent the afternoon telling Ron and Hermione everything that had happened on the Dream Plane. It was to their credit that they accepted the story without comment; they had seen too much to doubt Harry's word.

When they finished, Hermione was deep in thought. 'I wonder if we could get our hands on a copy of the first Prophecy,' she mused.

'Maybe there's one in Dumbledore's library,' Harry said doubtfully. Hermione just nodded, obviously distracted.

'Wonderful,' Ron muttered sourly. 'First my best friend is in some Prophecy, and now my sister?'

At dinner time James had still not appeared, and Harry was staring to get worried. They filed into the Great Hall with the rest of the students, taking their usual seats, where they were joined by the twins who had evidently spent the day doing Merlin-knows-what down in the dungeons. Isabelle shot Harry a curious glance from across the hall, to which Harry just shrugged.

About halfway through dinner the doors sprang open and James strode in, looking distinctly the worse for wear. He was smiling, however, as he made his way to the Gryffindor table.

'We need to talk,' he said quietly. He then left the hall as abruptly as he had entered. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione shared a look and followed quickly.

When they reached his office, James closed the door and placed a Privacy Charm on the room with a wave of his hand. 'Now we can talk,' he said, then raised his voice. 'Here boy! Come here Padfoot!'

A massive bear-like dog that Harry recognised immediately bounded out from behind James' desk and immediately leapt at Harry, hitting him in the chest and knocking him to the ground where it proceeded to lick every part of his face it could reach. Laughing, Harry tried to push the dog off, but it was rather like trying to dislodge a boulder.

Finally he pushed it off, and lay on his side, panting. The dog sat nearby, his tongue lolling out in canine laughter.

'Sirius?' Harry said in wonder. 'Is that really you?' he reached out to touch the dog's face, hardly daring to believe. The dog barked sharply and nuzzled Harry's hand.

'Unfortunately, that is indeed your Godfather,' James said wryly. 'The one and only Sirius Black. Apparently someone spoke to the Powers That Be and pushed their timetable forward a bit.' He made a face. 'They also have a very warped sense of humour. They dumped the both of us on the far edge of the forest, and we had to walk back. That's what took so long.'

Harry said a silent prayer of thanks to his ultimate grandfather as he scratched Sirius' ears. Ron and Hermione each gave him a pat, but when Ginny scratched his muzzle he looked at her sharply, then back at Harry. His tongue lolled out again and he barked what Harry would almost swear was laughter.

'What?' Harry asked, looking at Ginny in puzzlement. 'What's wrong with her?'

'Thanks Harry,' Ginny said with a half smile as Sirius looked pointedly between Harry and Ginny and then licked his lips and sniffed exaggeratedly.

'Oh,' Harry said in sudden understanding. 'You can smell me on her?'

Hermione and Ginny burst out laughing at his choice of words, and even Ron cracked a smile. Sirius rolled over onto his back, his whole body shaking, and started making odd little whining noises. Harry just stood there wondering what he'd said wrong.

'So!' James called them to attention when they had calmed down a bit. 'The reason I asked you here, Harry, is simple. How much have you told these two?' He indicated Ron and Hermione.

'Everything,' Harry said immediately. 'What I know, they know.'

'Alright then, what about the rest of the DA? And the school?'

Harry considered. 'We'll tell the DA a little,' he conceded. 'But I don't think the rest of the school needs to know.'

'Fair enough,' James nodded. 'Just thought I'd let you decide. How much do you think we should tell them?'

Harry thought a moment, absently scratching Sirius' ears. 'We'll tell them something vague about the extra power, but I think we can leave the bit about being the Heir of Gryffindor out of this.' He made a face. 'I'm getting enough hero worship as it is.'

'It's your call,' James shrugged. 'We're all just flunkies.'

'Sidekick,' Ron corrected, coming to stand beside Harry.

'Girlfriend,' Ginny said firmly, taking Harry's hand possessively. Sirius' tongue, Harry noticed, was once again lolling out of his mouth. They all looked at Hermione, who shrugged.

'What the heck, I'll be a flunky,' she smiled, eliciting laughs from all present.

'Thanks, guys,' Harry said, his eyes catching each person's in turn, including Sirius'. 'I couldn't have done this without you.'

'Of course you could,' James said with a grin. 'It'd just take a hell of a lot longer.' That got more laughs.

'On a more serious note,' James said when the room was quiet again. 'Harry, have you had any more visions?'

A little startled by the question, Harry was even more surprised to realise it had been more than a month since his last vision of Voldemort. 'No,' he said, his voice betraying his puzzlement.

James looked at him piercingly. 'Has your scar been hurting?'

'No!' Harry stood up straighter, his forehead creasing into a frown. 'Why would that be?' he asked, half to himself.

'We have a theory,' James said a little cautiously. 'Will you let us observe a little more before we tell you? Let's not give anything away before we're absolutely certain.'

'Okay,' Harry nodded, still a little puzzled.

'Good,' James clapped his hands together sharply, and the door sprang open. 'Now all of you can get the hell out. I have work to do.' He grinned, an eerie expression that Harry had seen many times on the Weasley twin's faces just before a major prank. Harry decided it would be the course of prudence to leave. Quickly. 

========

They were passing through the Entrance Hall when Harry suddenly stopped, his head cocked to the side as if listening.

'What?' Ron asked, realising that Harry wasn't walking anymore, but Harry waved him to silence. Something was telling him very strongly that he should investigate the dungeons. Sirius was also watching the stairs down to the dungeons, and a low growl escaped him.

Cautiously, Harry crept closer to the stairs leading down, until he was against the wall on one side. The others, trusting him without question, followed, all moving as quietly as they could.

Harry started down the stairs, keeping to the shadows along the wall and trying to move as silently as he could. When he reached the bottom, he could hear the voices more clearly, but the echoes in the dungeons made it impossible to make out any individual words. He could tell they were close though, probably just around the next corner. He wanted to swear in frustration.

A hand suddenly touched his shoulder and he turned his head to find Ginny holding several long flesh coloured strings. Extendible Ears.

Smiling quickly in gratitude, Harry took one and inserted it into his ear as the others did the same. The string immediately wriggled around the corner, and suddenly Harry could hear the voices clearly.

'…are disobeying a direct order!' the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy hissed. A low growl escaped Sirius, and Harry nudged him with his foot to quiet him.

'So what if I am?' Isabelle Lestrange sounded unconcerned. 'Unlike you, I don't feel the need to bow down to a half blood deluded moron who thinks he can defeat the entire world.'

'News flash,' Draco said bitingly. 'He's succeeding!'

Isabelle snorted softly. 'Hardly,' she said scathingly. 'Hasn't managed to kill Harry or Dumbledore yet, has he? And he's been trying for, what, sixteen years now? Thanks, but no thinks.'

'I think you need to get your loyalties straightened out, Miss Lestrange,' Draco warned. 'The Dark Lord is not lenient when it comes to traitors.'

'How can I be a traitor if I never swore allegiance?' Isabelle said with contempt. 'Not all of us are carbon copies of our parents, _Malfoy_.'

Malfoy hissed softly in annoyance. 'If you don't stop associating with those Muggle-loving Mudbloods, then I won't be able to protect you,' Malfoy tried, although his anger showed through his words.

Isabelle laughed quietly. 'Like I need a deluded fool like you to protect me. Potter is twice the wizard you are, and one day I'm going to be around to see him prove it.'

'You had best watch your back, _Lestrange_,' Malfoy said, and Harry could hear the sneer in his voice. 'One day you may just find a dagger between your shoulder blades.' Faint footsteps could be heard as Malfoy walked off.

'What an ass,' Isabelle muttered, before she too walked off – in the direction of the stairs and waiting Gryffindors.

Harry and his friends stood frozen as she strode around the corner. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing them there, then she smiled slightly.

'I thought it was Slytherins who were supposed to be the eavesdroppers,' she said lightly, looking from face to face. The four Gryffindors stared back, until she shook her head in amusement. 'Come on,' she said, motioning towards the stairs. 'We need to talk.'

__

A/N: I didn't think it was possible, but this chapter gave me even more trouble than the last. It started out with Dumbledore replacing the Prefects with the DA, but for some strange reason that ended up with Harry destroying the Great Hall (I have no idea where the heck that came from, I assure you!). This version is a little more tame than the last, and I got to put the bit with Isabelle in it, which I've been looking for a way to do for quite a while. I was going to have Malfoy try to hex her, but decided it was far too melodramatic. Oh well.


	23. What It Means To Be Slytherin

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: G'day, y'all! Whoops, I think I just mixed cultures again…For those of you who like Isabelle, here's a whole dang chapter about her. Enjoy!

gpotter: _I'm trying with the Michael torture, but it won't be for a while yet. Give it a few chapters…(smirks evilly)_

aalikane: _Short chapters means more updates…_

Evansk: _I think I'm getting predictable…lol. As to the English accent…the Aussie one is definitely better (coming from someone who has a mostly English background, and who has a VERY slight and so far _unexplained_ English accent, and who has also never been to England) Anyway, I'll shut up now. :)_

Alima: _Everyone needs a little weirdness every now and again._

siriusblack08: _Umm…lets just say I've run out of extremities to count the number of times I've read the books._

Melindaleo: _I'm distracting you? I'll call a halt to construction immediately! Ah, what the hell, I'm having far too much fun to stop now. As to your guess…umm…no comment._

Isabelle led the Gryffindors out of the dungeons and into a disused classroom near the top of the marble staircase. She was all business as she warded the room against eavesdroppers and began to speak.

'I'm sure you all heard my little chat with Malfoy. Suffice to say I'm not very popular at the moment with some key members of Slytherin house.'

'So we figured,' Harry said.

'That little threat session of Malfoy's was about some orders he got from his father. He's supposed to try to infiltrate the DA and weaken it in any way they can. Apparently the Dark Lord doesn't want any opposition when he comes after Hogwarts – and he _is_ coming, of that I assure you.'

'When?' Hermione asked bleakly.

'No clue,' Isabelle shrugged. 'Malfoy knows, but he wouldn't tell me.'

'Is there anything you _do_ know?' Ron asked, his suspicion clearly showing in his voice.

Isabelle sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall. 'Not as much as I'd like,' she answered. 'I'll try to trick some answers out of Malfoy, but I don't know if I'll be able to. But there's more.' She looked into Ginny's eyes. 'I recognised the spell the Dark Lord used on you, Weasley. It's a spell that's been around for thousands of years, originating in Ancient Greece. Back then, wizards and witches were a lot rarer, and they were held up as gods – or goddesses, as the case may be. Anyway, this spell was created as a long term method to control their followers. It's seldom used nowadays because it takes a long time to implement, usually about a month, and the Imperious curse is easier and instantaneous.'

'So what did you mean when you said Harry had saved Ginny's life?' Hermione asked, looking intently at the Slytherin girl.

'The spell doesn't just command, like the Imperious curse does, it actually replaces the conscious thoughts of the victim with those of the caster. Voldemort was doing Weasley's thinking for her.' Harry remembered with a shudder when Ginny's eyes had changed to the serpentine ones of Voldemort. 'He could have commanded her to stab herself, for instance, and she couldn't have done anything to stop herself. The only thing that puzzles me about all this is that the victim has to have a strong personal connection to the caster for the spell to work.' Isabelle was watching Ginny carefully, looking for a reaction, and her expression turned satisfied when Ginny's face darkened. 'Don't worry, I'm not going to ask what it is, that's none of my business. Now, I have no idea what Harry did to drive the Dark Lord away, but if he wants to possess her again he'll have to start the spell from scratch. I don't think he's that patient, personally, but you never know. He's more likely to try a more direct attack, especially after the Azkaban breakout a while back.'

'Thank for the Intel, Isabelle,' Harry said gratefully.

'Anytime,' she smiled slightly. 'You may be a bunch of reckless twits, but I'll take reckless twits any day over back-stabbing, manipulating fools.'

'Are you going to be safe?' Ginny asked. 'You know, after giving us this information and everything?'

Isabelle shook her head. 'Malfoy wouldn't dare,' was all she said. She bowed slightly to Harry and quietly left the room.

'Well,' Hermione said after a moment's silence. 'That was interesting.' From his place near Harry, Sirius growled his agreement.

'Can we trust her?' Ron asked bluntly.

'I think we can,' Harry said after a moment's thought. 'She's not like Malfoy, or the rest of the Slytherins. Besides, haven't we already had this argument?'

'Suppose,' Ron shrugged. 'Just making sure.'

'Could the argument have been staged?' Ginny wondered.

Hermione shook her head. 'Just on the off chance that someone might walk by to hear them? No, I agree with Harry. I think we can trust her.'

Later, the four were sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Neville, Alex and Cassie, when there came a frantic banging from outside the Fat Lady's portrait.

'What's that?' A second year cried. Whispers spread throughout the room.

Harry motioned with his head, and he and his friends drew their wands and made their way over to the entrance, where a small group of students had gathered and apparently arguing over who would be the one to open the door and take a look. The melted out of the way as Harry approached. Cautiously he placed his hand against the back of the portrait as once again there were bangs from the other side, and Harry could have sworn he heard a female voice curse. Throwing caution to the winds he pushed hard, sending the portrait swinging into the wall with a crash. Standing in front of him was Isabelle, her usually immaculate black hair thoroughly mussed and her robes burnt in places. She was clutching her wand so tightly her knuckles were white, and there were black smudges on her face.

'Can I come in?' she asked, glancing behind her quickly as if afraid of being followed.

'Of course,' Harry stepped out of the way and helped her through the doorway. When she straightened, there were angry cries from many of the assembled Gryffindors.

'She can't be in here!' one fourth year bellowed. 'She's a Slytherin!'

'If you have an argument, you can take it up with me,' Harry said, calmly raising his wand. Immediately the room silenced. Suddenly tired with the constant prejudice, he scowled around the room. 'She's under my protection, so you can all shut up and leave her alone.'

'What happened?' Hermione asked Isabelle, looking the girl over anxiously.

'Bloody Malfoy!' the Slytherin burst out, stuffing her wand into her pocket angrily as Harry led her through the crowded students to a seat in front of the fire. 'He ambushed me in the Common Room. He and his thugs.'

'Blimey!' Ron looked startled.

Seamus and Dean came over from the corner where they had been working on homework and, after a brief nod to Harry, began herding away those who had been trying to get close enough to listen. They then took up positions behind the couches. Harry chose to ignore the fact that this put them into a position where they could listen themselves.

'House politics in Slytherin look nasty,' Alex commented as they all took seats. Neville, Harry noticed, sat as far from Isabelle as he could.

'I have some robes that might fit you,' Ginny volunteered, gazing at the Slytherin's ruined clothes.

'Thanks,' Isabelle said gratefully as she followed Ginny up the stairs to her dorm. When they returned a moment later, Isabelle was looking distinctly uncomfortable in Gryffindor robes.

'Much better,' Cassie commented as Isabelle took a seat again. 'Now you fit in.'

'Wonderful,' Isabelle said sourly, pulling a brush Harry recognised as Ginny's through her long hair.

'You can stay here tonight, if you want,' Harry offered. 'I'm sure McGonagall wouldn't mind.' Noting the skeptical look on her face, Harry smiled. 'And too bad if she does.'

'Spoken like a true Slytherin,' Isabelle winced as the brush caught a particularly stubborn knot. 'Damn, I'm going to kill that bloody bastard for this.'

As they all prepared to sleep, Harry couldn't help but marvel at the change in the Slytherin girl. Always before she had been totally in control, so self-possessed. Now she was almost seething, and she suddenly seemed much more real, more _human_. The shock of being attacked by Malfoy had obviously shaken her self-confidence a bit more than she was letting on.

They bedded down before the fire that night. Harry and Ginny took their couch, Ron and Hermione theirs, and Isabelle was left with the one usually occupied by Neville and Luna. Alex and Cassie took the floor, and Neville retreated up to the dorm with Dean and Seamus. As they all settled down, Harry felt Ginny's head come to rest on his chest, and it was as if he suddenly found something he had been missing for a long time. He smiled down at her as she watched him, kissing her on the forehead. He also totally missed the envious look that flitted briefly over Isabelle's face. One in the room was more observant, however

Seeing an opening, Sirius jumped up onto the couch beside Isabelle and curled up into a ball, his tail lightly thumping the cushions. Isabelle looked startled, one eyebrow raised, then almost hesitantly reached out and scratched the massive black dog's ears. Sirius turned his head and licked the side of her face, then lay down again. Encouraged, Isabelle rested her head on the dog's broad back, a slight smile coming to her lips.

========

Isabelle got some dark looks the following morning as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast surrounded by Gryffindors. She walked at Harry's side, still wearing Ginny's robes, announcing louder than words where her loyalties lay. Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table; Malfoy looked livid, although the effect was spoiled somewhat by his shining black eye. Harry noticed that Pansy Parkinson was nowhere to be seen, and had to wonder what had happened to her.

Before they even reached the Gryffindor table, McGonagall intercepted them. 'Mister Potter,' she said crisply. 'Why is there a Slytherin wearing Gryffindor robes in your company? You know it is against school rules!'

'Professor, she…'

'Please, Professor,' Isabelle spoke up. 'There was some…unpleasantness last night in the dungeons. Harry was kind enough to let me stay in Gryffindor tower, and since my robes were ruined in the…unpleasantness, Miss Weasley offered me some of hers to wear. I haven't been back to my dorm yet to change, but I assure you I will at the first opportunity.'

McGonagall surveyed the Slytherin for a short while, then nodded. 'Very well, Miss Lestrange, but do not make a habit of this.' With that she turned and walked away.

'Nicely done,' Alex whispered to Isabelle as they all took seats at the Gryffindor table. Isabelle smiled slightly in reply.

Dumbledore stood from his place at the head table, and immediately all conversation ceased. 'Your attention please! Since Saturday's Hogsmeade visit was cut short of necessity, I have hired the services of Madam Malkin for the coming weekend. She will be bringing an extensive selection of robes to Hogwarts for the perusal of those who missed out on Saturday. Thank you!'

'We need to get some robes, Harry,' Ginny said, entwining her hand with his under the table.

'Robes?' Isabelle muttered, then her eyes widened. 'Oh Merlin, I forgot the Halloween Ball!'

'You forgot?' Lavender gasped from a few places down the table. 'How could you?'

'I've had a few things on my mind, thank you,' Isabelle said tartly.

'Well, it's not so bad, you can get robes next weekend, and I'm sure someone from Slytherin will want to go with you,' Hermione said bracingly.

Isabelle glanced at the Slytherin table, the shook her head. 'Unlikely,' she muttered. 'No one will want to get into Malfoy's bad books by going with me.'

'If you wouldn't mind going with a reckless twit, I'll take you,' Alex volunteered with a smile. Harry immediately recognised the words Isabelle herself had used the previous day, and had to wonder how Alex would know them.

Isabelle was looking at him suspiciously. 'I don't take charity,' she said finally.

'It's not charity,' Alex assured her. 'Look, you're pretty, you're charming – when you want to be – you have a sense of humour, you're clever, what more could a guy want?'

Isabelle's lips were twitching, threatening to form a smile. 'In that case, I suppose I could put up with you for a few hours. If nothing else, you're flattery is good.'

'Great!' Alex clapped his hands together. 'It's all settled then. Next weekend we'll go with Harry and Ginny and get some robes, okay?'

'Sounds good to me,' Isabelle said with a smile.

The doors crashed open, and James strode into the room, his face like a thunder cloud. He stopped at the front of the hall, and his eyes flashed.

'Last night, some filthy slimeballs attacked a member of my DA,' he said bitingly, his anger almost a palatable force. 'If I catch those students, they will be expelled. No exceptions.' His dark gaze took in the entire hall, lingering on the Slytherin table. Harry noticed in satisfaction that Malfoy was as pale as a sheet. 'Let this be a warning to all of you. Do not cross me again, or you _will_ regret it.' James spun and stalked back out of the hall, doing a very good impression of Snape, in Harry's opinion.

'That's Dad for you,' Cassie commented. 'He's normally pretty laid back, but if you hurt someone he cares about…'

'…you'd better start running,' Alex finished, smiling in satisfaction.

Isabelle said nothing, but her eyes expressed louder than words that although she was grateful, she was also somewhat confused by James' reaction.

__

A/N: I had an interesting idea (well no, I stole it, but that's beside the point). If you could be bothered, when/if you review this chapter, put your city and country at the bottom. I'd be interested to know how many places this is being read in. If you hadn't picked it up yet, I'm an Aussie from Melbourne. Lets find out where you lot are from! C'mon, what are you waiting for! Besides, it's an opportunity to brag about how good your country is, even if we know Australia is the best, especially at Rugby ;)


	24. Powers

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Two posts in one day. Damn I'm good…

For all those who wanted an action chapter, enjoy! Finally Malfoy gets a can of whoop-ass opened on him…

gpotter: _Being an Aussie guy myself, I think I can take that as a compliment ;) Nice to know my OC's are going down so well. No offence, but you are OBSESSED with ORLANDO BLOODY BLOOM! Sheesh, get over it, girl…;)_

Isabela Pontes de Campos: _Send a little of that heat this way, would ya? It's BLOODY FREEZING down here! Course, I do live about an hour north of the closest bit of land to the South Pole (if you exclude Tassie, which most of us do) Sorry to anyone from Tassie, by the way ;p_

AlphaPhi: _Wow, another Brazilian? Hmm…as to Isabelle and Sirius, I say that dogs are born opportunists._

MsMissProngs: _Who's going to stop her if Harry says she can? Who'd be dumb enough?_

Aadrita:_ Aww, I was getting used to waiting for a review from "Dree"…oh well. It's all good. California is pretty cool (not so big on LA though, Sydney is bad enough with 4 million people, never mind the 20 odd in LA). Actually, it's the only place I've been to overseas. That and Arizona (remind me not to go there again in the summer…)_

CreativeQuill:_ In my mind, I designed Isabelle to my ideal of the perfect Slytherin. At least, that's how she started. Lets just say she's changed drastically and let it go at that…_

charmedunderharry'sspell: _Luna is still around, she just hasn't really been spending time with Harry and co. Neither has Neville… (wink, wink)_

JCsDancerGurl: _'Course I have, Saerry's story _"Not Myself"_ was the first fic I ever read, way back when she was still writing third year._

True to her word, Isabelle changed back into her Slytherin robes before her first class. She entered Harry's class later that morning with Ginny, happily chatting away as they sat together not far from the front of the room. Harry concealed a smile; as he had known they would, the two got on well together, once they broke down the House-barrier.

Isabelle sat with them again for lunch, and again Malfoy scowled at them from across the hall. Harry had to admit that one set of green and silver robes in a sea of red and gold _did_ look a little peculiar, but Isabelle seemed content to ignore the stares of those around her.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Isabelle left the hall together, climbing the marble staircase as they headed towards their respective classes. They turned a corner into the Defense corridor and spotted Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle waiting for them.

'So, Lestrange,' he said casually as they drew near. 'You've got Potter and his flunkies protecting you now, have you? I'd thought even _you_ couldn't sink that low.'

'Sod off, Malfoy,' Ron growled.

'Oh, I'm scared,' Malfoy said sarcastically. 'Potter's tame ape is threatening me. Oh no, now I'm in trouble.' Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

'We mean it Malfoy,' Hermione said angrily. 'Get lost now before I give you a detention.'

'For what, loitering?' Malfoy sneered. 'Shut your hole, you filthy Mudblood.'

Ron let out a roar, leaping at Malfoy. Ginny, Hermione and Isabelle all grabbed him, struggling to hold him back. Harry just glared at the platinum haired boy, trying very hard not to loose his temper. Even now, he could feel the Basilisk stirring.

'I'm warning you now, Malfoy,' Harry grated. 'Get out of here if you value your life.'

Malfoy laughed maliciously as Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. 'And what is iddy biddy baby Potter going to do?' he said in a mock baby voice.

Something within Harry snapped; he was instantly transported back to the Department of Mysteries…he watched Sirius fall through the veil…he was in the Atrium, and Bellatrix was laughing…Voldemort and Dumbledore were fighting…

Harry felt a searing pain in his scar, and a massive kinetic force surged out of him in a wave. Ginny guessed what was coming and dove to the floor, pulling Ron, Hermione and Isabelle with her. The wave passed straight over their heads; Malfoy and his goons were not so lucky.

The three Slytherins were picked up off their feet and slammed into the wall so hard that there were several distinct snaps as bones broke. The stones in the wall cracked under the immense pressure, and Malfoy's face twisted into a grimace of pain. Crabbe and Goyle both passed out as their head collided with the wall with twin sickening crunches. All three stayed against the wall, pinned in place.

Harry's whole body radiated an intense nimbus of green light, and he was floating a foot off the floor. His arms raised, his head thrown back, he looked like a figure out of legend. In that moment, Ginny Weasley fully realised the power of the boy she had fallen in love with, and it scared her.

Harry floated closer to the barely conscious Malfoy heir as students began to gather, drawn by the commotion. A Ravenclaw third year fled to get Dumbledore as Harry lowered his head so he was staring into Draco's gray eyes. Eyes that were wide with fear.

'If you _ever_ say another word to me, or any of my friends, I will kill you,' Harry hissed, his voice distinctly snake-like as the Basilisk made itself known.

'Harry!' Dumbledore's voice broke through his rage, and he spun to face the Headmaster. Dumbledore's tall frame radiated power that would make almost any wizard flinch, and his eyes flashed with blue fire. Harry Potter was far from an ordinary wizard, however. 'Harry, get away from him!'

'You listen to me, _Headmaster_,' Harry hissed. 'Draco Malfoy attacked one of my friends last night. It was _ONE ON FIVE!_ He came here, insulted me, insulted the ones I care about…the same as he's been doing for _six_ _years. _And I'm _SICK OF IT!_' The last words came out as a roar, and Dumbledore unconsciously stepped back. Harry pointed a trembling finger at Malfoy. 'If he does it again, I can not be held accountable for the consequences!'

There was a blinding flash of light, and when it faded, Harry had vanished. Ginny, still laying on the floor gazing at the place Harry had been in astonishment, was suddenly enveloped in the same green light that had surrounded Harry, and she also vanished.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a long glance. 'This can't be good,' Ron said finally.

'What the hell just happened?' Isabelle demanded as all three stood.

'Later,' Hermione glanced around at the gathered students, who were now being herded away by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and James.

========

Harry reappeared deep in the forbidden forest. A second later, Ginny appeared as well, sprawled at his feet on the soft earth.

'Ginny?' Harry asked, startled. The green light was gone now, and he appeared normal. He had intended to transport only himself – just to see if he could actually do it. He had no idea why Ginny had come too. 'Are you alright?' he asked her, helping her to her feet.

She didn't answer, but her arms went around him tightly and she buried her face in his chest. Without warning, she burst into tears.

The anger left him in an instant. Harry didn't have to ask her why she was crying. He knew she was scared. Hell, he had even frightened _himself_ back there. He hadn't even considered Ginny. His arms automatically went around her, his fingers entangling themselves in her fiery hair. He didn't say anything, but rocked her gently back and forth in his arms, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head.

Deep down, he knew he had gone too far, and he felt guilty for causing so much damage. _Now I know what Gryffindor was on about_, he thought moodily as Ginny continued to sob in his arms. _If Ginny wasn't so quick, I could have really hurt everyone_. The thought of Ron, Hermione, Isabelle and most of all Ginny laying in the Hospital wing, battered and bruised because he couldn't control himself, almost made him physically ill.

After a moment he became aware of an odd sensation in his right leg. He ignored it, his attention remaining focused on the redhead in his arms, until the sensation reached the top of his leg and began to climb up his side. It was only then that he released one arm to scratch himself. He was not at all prepared for the result.

Simultaneously, there was a loud hissing noise and Ginny screamed, leaping away from Harry violently. A small, bright green snake about a foot long with a red stripe from nose to tail dropped to the ground in front of them, gazing with curious eyes at Harry.

'_Forgive me, Master_,' the snake hissed, raising itself slightly so it could see Harry better. '_I did not mean to startle you or your mate. One felt the Mark of the Serpent on you and felt obliged to respond_.' The snake performed the same peculiar half-bow as the Anaconda had all those weeks ago.

Ginny was breathing heavily, staring at the snake in disbelief.

'Umm…thanks,' Harry said, glancing quickly at Ginny.

'_It is proper_,' the snake said. Harry got the distinct impression that the voice was feminine. '_One is called Zith, and one offers you one's services, Marked One, as one must_.'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked, curious as to the snake's meaning.

'_One will protect you with one's life_,' the snake answered, raising its head proudly. '_It will be an honour to serve_.'

Harry was about to say no when he again glanced up at Ginny's face. Her disbelief was gone now, replaced with a kind of cautious wonder. He looked down at the snake again, and an idea struck him.

'Very well Zith, I accept your offer of service,' Harry said, instinctively knowing that the offer required a slightly formal response.

To Harry's immense surprise, the snake began to purr. It performed the half bow again, touching its nose to the ground. '_Then one shall enter your service until you see fit to dismiss me_,' the snake said, slithering forward. Harry lowered his arm, and the snake coiled itself around his wrist, still purring softly.

'Do you understand English?' Harry asked.

'_Of course_,' Zith replied, somehow managing to look amused. '_To attempt to speak it, however, would place one's tongue in much danger of being bitten_.'

'Good,' Harry looked up at Ginny. 'This is Zith, and she just volunteered to be my bodyguard.'

'I know,' Ginny whispered.

'What do you mean, you know?' Harry asked.

'I…I…' Suddenly Ginny's legs gave out from under her and she collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Harry was by her side in an instant, supporting her by enfolding her in a hug. For the second time she began to cry, although this time it was much weaker that the last.

Harry waited patiently, wondering what had gotten her so upset. A rather disconcerting suspicion crept into his mind, but he pointedly ignored it.

'I could understand what the snake was saying,' Ginny finally whispered, so quietly Harry was sure he hadn't heard right.

'Sorry?' he asked. 'Did you just say –'

'I'm a Parselmouth!' Ginny cried, shoving Harry away roughly. He sprawled backwards in the dirt, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. Zith hissed in annoyance as she was jolted by the impact. 'How else do you think Tom could get me to open the Chamber? With my teeth?'

'Ginny,' Harry said carefully, 'there's nothing wrong with being a Parselmouth.'

'How can you say that?' she raged, abruptly back on her feet. 'I thought you would understand!'

'I do!' Harry said hotly. 'I also know there's nothing you can do about it!'

Zith was watching them both curiously. '_What is the matter?_' she asked finally.

'Ginny can talk to snakes, too,' Harry said shortly. 'She's a little upset by it.'

'_Ah, one sees_,' Zith said thoughtfully. '_She still believes that serpents are evil_.'

'No I don't,' Ginny said, her eyes flashing. 'This "gift" came from Tom, and I don't want anything to do with him!'

'A gift is a gift, Ginny,' Harry snapped. 'Do you think I feel any better about this? You've faced Voldemort once, I've faced him _four bloody times_! How do you think I feel?'

Ginny shook her head in disbelief. 'I can't believe you just said that,' she said, her voice shaking. 'You think my experience is worth so little? I had him in my head for a whole year! At least when you faced him it was only for a minute!'

'That's not what I meant and you know it,' Harry said, suddenly feeling very weary.

'Oh do I just?' Ginny said coldly, then spun abruptly on her heels and stalked off into the forest. Harry groaned and flopped backwards onto the ground, letting out a sigh.

'Women,' he muttered.

'_She will come around, Master_,' Zith said confidently.

'I'm glad you're sure,' Harry said dubiously. 'Because I'm not.'

He lay there a while longer, and finally decided he could put off his return to the castle no longer. Summoning as much concentration as he could, he imagined the Entrance Hall. There was a brilliant flash of green light, and the hall materialized around him. Once again, Ginny appeared at his feet. Her hair was tangled, her arms were covered in scratches, and her robes were torn. She glared at Harry before picking herself up and stalking away.

'Wonder why that happens,' Harry mused as he climbed the staircase in her wake.

Zith hissed softly. '_Perhaps it is because you are linked so closely_,' she suggested as they reached the top of the marble staircase.

'I think it's time for a little chat with Professor Milton,' Harry muttered, heading for the Defense classroom.

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A/N: As always, all reviews are welcome. Feed me!

Full points to anyone who can tell me where Zith comes from (not Whimsical Firefly, I know you know already).

A note in passing: If you are going to E-mail me for any reason, let me know with a review first. That way your message won't get accidentally deleted when I clear my Junk Mail folder. Put something about ff .net in the subject line, too.


	25. Conversations

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: I'M ALIVE!!! Sorry this took so long folks, but Telstra cut off my Internet access accidentally. Grr…

Since I'm posting two chapters, Review Responses are in the next chapter, at the end. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, by the way! I got the Internet back on and found I had almost two hundred e-mails, and most of them were review responses. Cheers!

Harry found James in his office marking papers and muttering darkly under his breath. He looked up sharply as Harry entered, his eyes narrowing.

'Sit,' he commanded, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Harry complied, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

'What the bloody hell was that little display all about?' James demanded, his voice coldly furious.

'I'm sorry, I lost my temper,' Harry said quickly.

'Lost your bloody temper!' James exploded. 'You almost killed Malfoy! Is that what you wanted?'

Harry considered this question seriously for a moment, then shrugged slightly. 'To tell the truth, it wouldn't have really bothered me either way,' he said calmly.

James sighed heavily, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. 'Harry, it would have been murder, you know that? You could have gone to Azkaban, and I'd never hear the end of it if that happened. Not only that, but you could have seriously hurt your friends.'

'I know,' Harry said quietly. 'I couldn't help myself. I just felt this overwhelming urge to hurt people.'

'That was the Basilisk talking, not you. It's the one with the homicidal impulses. You have to learn to control that, to tame it.'

'How?' Harry demanded tiredly. 'It's stronger than I am.'

'It's also under your command,' James said sternly. 'It's here to help you, not hinder. It has to listen to you whether it likes…'

Suddenly Harry's scar seared with pain. He cried out, clapping his hand to his forehead and doubling over in his seat.

'What is it?' James asked curiously, standing and coming around the desk to kneel next to Harry, who was now panting for breath.

'Voldemort…' Harry grated. 'He's really happy about something…'

'Have you had a fallout with Miss Weasley?' James asked suddenly. The question was so unexpected that it distracted Harry from the pain for a moment.

'Yeah,' Harry said quietly as the pain began to recede. 'We had an argument out in the forest…' he trailed off as several things clicked together in his mind. 'That's the big theory!' he said suddenly, sitting up straighter in his chair. 'You think its Ginny who's stopping me from seeing Voldemort?'

'Partly,' James granted, standing and seating himself again behind his desk. 'Although not entirely. More like it's your feelings for her that are blocking the Dark Lord from accessing your mind. Do you remember when he tried to possess you back in the Department of Mysteries?'

Harry nodded. 'I thought about Sirius,' he said slowly. 'And Voldemort went away.'

'The Dark Lord cannot stand to exist in an environment filled with such positivity,' James said, clasping his hands together and resting them on the desk in front of him. 'Your ability to love, and be loved in return, may be your greatest weapon, Harry. Always remember that. What you are feeling now is no doubt Voldemort's glee at discovering your mind is once again vulnerable, even if it is only temporary.'

'Why did Ginny come with me when I transported myself earlier? And why could I do it at all? I thought you couldn't do stuff like that in Hogwarts. At least that's what Hermione keeps telling me.'

'Second question first, and the answer is simple. Why can Fawkes do the same thing?'

'Because he isn't human?' Harry guessed.

James nodded. 'Exactly. And neither is a Basilisk.'

'Oh.' Harry thought that made sense. 'What about Ginny?'

'Now that's a little more complicated.' James leant back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling. 'What do you know about magical bonds?'

'Not much,' Harry admitted. 'Only this stupid scar.' He indicated his forehead.

'When a witch or wizard saves another's life, it creates a bond between the two, one that is unbreakable by any means other than repaying the debt. You have such a bond, I believe, with Peter Pettigrew. You saved his life by staying Sirius' hand, and he is bonded to you until he repays that debt. You may want to keep that in mind, it could come in useful. The bond between you and Miss Weasley is somewhat deeper, and also involves the Prophecy. You are bound by forces beyond your control, and together you are so much greater than alone.'

'So every time I do something, it will affect her too?' Harry said. He knew what Ginny was going to say when she found out _that_.

'Everything we do affects everyone around us,' James answered cryptically. 'In your case, it will just be a little more intimate.'

'Wonderful,' Harry said sourly.

'It's not so bad, Harry,' James chuckled. 'You might even find you like having Ginny always accessible.'

An image of Ginny suddenly appearing dripping wet at his feet, having been teleported straight from the shower briefly flashed across his imagination, but he quickly squashed it. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, however.

'See,' James said with a smirk. 'All sorts of possibilities.'

'Thanks, Professor,' Harry said gratefully.

'James, in private,' James said firmly, reaching across the desk and placing one hand on Harry's shoulder. 'I'm here for you, Harry, whenever you need to talk. I know I can't be a substitute for your parents or Sirius, but I'll do the best I can.'

A lump rose in Harry's throat as he looked into James' sincere eyes, and he nodded mutely.

'Now go,' James commanded with a smile. 'You'd best go find Ginny. She's not the sort to let simmer, if you catch my meaning. Best to talk to her before she gets herself even more worked up than she already is.'

'Thanks,' Harry said quietly, standing and leaving the room quickly. Once he was outside, he leaned heavily against the wall, his eyes filling with tears. He dashed them away angrily with his arm, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

'I need to find Ginny,' he said to himself quietly.

'_Indeed_,' Zith said, and Harry jumped a foot of the ground. He had totally forgotten she was there.

'Don't do that!' Harry scolded, heading for Gryffindor tower to begin his search. He could have sworn Zith looked amused.

When he climbed through the portrait hole, he was met with a sudden silence. Many of the Gryffindors presently in the common room watched him enter with fear in their eyes. Harry ignored them, noticing Ron, Hermione and Isabelle sitting near the fire. He strode across the room to them.

'Harry, where…' Hermione started, but Harry cut her off.

'Where's Ginny?' he asked.

'I don't know, but…'

Harry turned abruptly and made to leave the room, but Ron's voice stopped him.

'Try the Astronomy tower,' he suggested. Harry nodded curtly and left the common room, leaving a roomful of whispers behind him.

Taking Ron's advice he headed for the Astronomy tower. It suddenly occurred to him that he should be in class; it was only a few hours after lunch. He supposed Dumbledore must have cancelled classes after the incident in the Defense corridor.

As he neared the top of the tower, he heard faint sounds coming from up ahead. As he emerged onto the roof he realised the sound was Ginny sobbing. She sat on a ledge on the far side of the roof, her back to him as she stared out over the lake. Her shoulders shook slightly in the chilly October afternoon air.

Without speaking Harry spun a blanket out of the air and placed it over her shoulders, then sat on the ledge opposite her. She didn't acknowledge him for a long moment, then finally she turned her red rimmed eyes to look at him. Harry's heart almost split in two at the furious look in those brown pools.

'It's not fair,' she said dully. 'Even when I want to, I can't be mad with you.'

'I'm sorry Ginny,' he said softly. 'I didn't mean to say what I did. Of course your experiences are important to me.'

Ginny regarded him carefully. 'James,' she said flatly. At Harry's puzzled look, she elaborated. 'He told you to apologise.' She turned away from him again. She knew that she had acted badly back in the forest, but she wasn't about to admit that.

'No,' Harry corrected. 'He told me not to wait. I was going to apologise anyway.'

'No you weren't,' Ginny said quietly.

'Of course I was,' Harry reached out and gently turned her head so she was facing him again. As he did so, Zith poked her blunt nose out of his sleeve.

'_Hello Zith_,' Ginny hissed. Harry almost dropped the snake in surprise. 'What?' Ginny sighed bitterly. 'As you said, it's a gift. It would be silly of me not to use it just because of where it came from.'

Harry sat next to her on the ledge, placing one arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She buried her face in his chest, and her shoulders began to shake again. Once she was back in such close contact with him, all the petty arguments just seemed…unimportant.

'I'm sorry for yelling at you,' she said in a small voice that was muffled only slightly by his shirt.

'Don't worry about it,' Harry said with a slight smile. 'I'm used to it.'

'That's no excuse,' she said stubbornly, shaking her head.

'If you say so,' Harry gave her shoulders a squeeze.

'Oh, Harry,' Ginny sighed, pulling away from him so she could look into his eyes. 'Why do you put up with me?'

'What?' The question startled Harry. 'What do you mean?'

'You know,' she said sadly. 'You could have any girl in the Wizarding world, and you chose me. Why?'

Harry laughed softly. 'Because I love you, ninny,' he said gently, leaning forward and catching her lips in a kiss.

'What a touching scene,' a very familiar voice made the two teens spring apart. 'Twenty points from each of you,' Snape sneered, his eyes glinting maliciously. 'My, my, the Golden Boy of Gryffindor flouting school rules twice in one day. The Headmaster will be hearing of this, Potter.'

'Whatever,' Harry shrugged indifferently, standing and pulling Ginny up after him, his arm still around her shoulders. He made to walk past the Professor, but Snape stopped him with one hand held up in front of them.

'Watch your back, Potter,' Snape said in a deadly serious voice. 'Hogwarts is no longer safe. Be _very_ careful.' Harry looked up into Snape's eyes and saw just what the warning had cost the older man. He looked like he'd just been forced to do something very unpleasant.

Harry nodded slightly. 'Thank you, sir,' he said, his eyes locking briefly with Snape's. 'I won't forget this.' And with that he turned and led Ginny down the steps, leaving Snape to stare after them both with an unreadable look on his face.

A/N: A bit of a short one, I know, but that was just such a good cut-off point.

As always, please R&R!


	26. Consequenses

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Well, erm…this isn't what I wanted to write at all! This was supposed to happen at the Ball…oh well. Hope this works for you all anyway.

Zith is the pet snake of Sadi, Chief Eunuch of Nyissa, in the Mallorean series by the illustrous David and Leigh Eddings. Full points to everyone who recognised the reference. Half points to anyone who said it was from D&D, because there is a Zith in that too. It's not a small green snake with a red stripe, though.

Fortunately for Harry, Malfoy was fine after a brief stop in the Hospital wing. Much to everyone's delight, he was now terrified of Harry and would stop talking immediately if he entered the same room, and would get a look on his face rather reminiscent of a rabbit caught in the headlights of a truck. Clearly he was taking Harry's threat _very_ seriously.

Hermione had not attempted to speak to Harry about his actions, and for that he was grateful. Ron only said that he would have done the same thing in Harry's position, and added several derogatory comments about Malfoy. Evidently they had informed Isabelle of Harry's meeting with Godric Gryffindor, and several times through the week he caught the Slytherin watching him with a thoughtful expression on her face.

The following weekend Harry, Ginny, Alex and Isabelle went robe shopping. Madam Malkin had set up a room off the Entrance Hall to look exactly like her shop in Diagon Alley.

Alex and Isabelle immediately vanished, both talking excitedly about robes they had seen and what they wanted to get, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Their relationship was still a little awkward after what had been dubbed 'the Forest Incident', something about which James was clearly not very happy. All week Harry had been getting painful twinges in his scar, accompanied by brief flashes of emotions that didn't belong to him. He hadn't told Ginny about this, of course; he didn't want her to think he was trying to pressure her into anything.

They wandered about for a while, looking at the many styles of dress robes for sale. Harry couldn't really feel very enthusiastic about shopping. Just this morning he had woken screaming from a nightmare involving Voldemort torturing a room full of Muggles while his Death Eaters watched. The story had been confirmed in this morning's Prophet, although the only person that knew the whole story was Ron, who had been the only one still in the dorm at the time, and Harry had sworn him to secrecy.

For her part, Ginny was still feeling miserable. She didn't know what had caused this sudden depression that had descended over her like a dark cloud, but ever since her fight with Harry she had been feeling like she wanted the ground to just reach up and swallow her whole. Her teachers were growing alarmed at the sudden drop in her grades; Professor Milton in particular was concerned for her wellbeing. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she seemed almost lifeless, not at all her usual energetic self. Harry had watched in horror as she had slid deeper and deeper into a hole she could not get herself out of, and he had no idea what to do.

'Maybe we just shouldn't go,' Ginny said finally as they neared the back of the room. She lifted the sleeve of a robe listlessly, then let it drop.

'Not go?' Harry asked incredulously. 'What do you mean?'

Ginny sighed heavily, but said nothing. Her head drooped, and her eyes fluttered as if she were struggling to stay awake. Harry would have been offended if she hadn't been like this for the whole week.

'Ginny!' Harry grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. 'Snap out of it, will you?'

Her head came up sharply, and Harry was horrified to be once again looking into the serpentine eyes of Lord Voldemort. They were only there for an instant, as almost immediately they changed back into the dull eyes Harry had been gazing into all week.

'Ginny?' Harry asked cautiously, placing one hand against her cheek. She just stared at him, her eyes glassy and unseeing. Her head cocked to the side as if she were listening to something, and she nodded ever so slightly. Suddenly her eyes were clear, rational, and an animal snarl escaped her throat. Harry leapt backwards with an oath as she jumped at him, her hands extended and going for his neck. He tried to get his wand but she grabbed his hand and bit down on his wrist, making him scream with pain as she severed tendons. The Basilisk was confused, he could tell. It didn't know whether to attack or stay silent as the one it perceived as mate attacked it's charge.

Zith, who had been sleeping wrapped around Harry's left arm, suddenly leapt from under Harry's sleeve and wrapped her body around Ginny's neck, forcing her to release Harry's arm and try to dislodge the snake. With his left hand Harry dove under his robes for his wand, leveling it at Ginny to Stun her only to have her foot come up and kick his hand sharply, sending the wand spinning end over end into a pile of discarded dress robes.

He tried to grab her and hold her, but with his mangled wrist this proved to be impossible. She caught his right arm as he tried to wrap it around her, her fingernails seeking and finding his injury. Harry almost blacked out from pain as she savagely dug the wound deeper, and he let out an anguished scream.

There was a rapid tattoo of running feet, and suddenly Ginny was pulled off him. Alex and Isabelle managed to hold her still between them while another student ran to get Madam Pomphrey and Dumbledore. Ginny hissed like a cat at her captors, struggling to throw them off, but neither would budge. Harry sat nursing his wrist, rocking backward and forward and only dimly aware of his surroundings.

Finally Dumbledore entered the room, banishing the racks of robes to the walls with a wave of his wand. He strode quickly across the room and knelt beside Ginny, who screeched and tried harder than ever to escape. Ron and Hermione were with the Headmaster, and they immediately went to Harry, sitting him up and supporting him.

'She is possessed,' Dumbledore said flatly, his wand coming to rest against her forehead. Ginny screamed again, this time in pain, and even through the haze filling his mind Harry wanted to run and comfort her. He fought weakly against the hands holding him up, but Ron and Hermione held him firmly. He felt someone binding his wrist and had to fight not to scream himself.

Ginny was thrashing wildly, trying to escape, but Dumbledore's hand was steady as he held the wand tip over her forehead, which was now glowing with blue light. Ginny's screams were growing weaker, and finally she collapsed against Alex, who had been holding her up from behind. The scream continued, however, now coming from the empty air above her head. As it had in Hogsmeade, the scream faded into the distance, finally dying altogether.

Harry stayed conscious long enough to see Alex and Isabelle hoisting Ginny's body up between them before he too felt blackness overtake him.

========

Ginny's return to consciousness was a slow, painful process. She was aware of sounds before anything else, although she wished she wasn't. The slightest whisper sounded like a thunderclap next to her ear. She tried to remember where she was, and how she got there. She figured she was in the Hospital wing, that was easy to pick…but how? She drifted off into a restless doze still pondering this question.

When she awoke again it was night. Her eyes fluttered open automatically, although she immediately squinted them shut again. A memory came to her, distinct and clear: when she had been possessed by Voldemort, and woken up afterwards, and Harry had sealed all the windows shut so the light didn't hurt her eyes. She had heard later that it had taken Dumbledore himself a whole day to break Harry's spell.

The words _Voldemort _and _possessed_ floated through her mind, but she ignored them. There had to be a good reason why she was here. Perhaps she had fallen down some stairs and had a concussion? But her head didn't hurt…

When her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light from the stars and crescent moon she ventured to open them again. The first thing she noticed was Harry, sitting in a chair beside her bed and loosely holding her hand. His eyes were open, and he was watching her intently.

'Hey Ginny,' he said softly, his fingers caressing hers. He raised his left hand to brush a strand of hair from her face, and she caught sight of Zith wrapped around his wrist. But what was that ugly scar…?

Suddenly it hit her. As if she were seeing through the eyes of another she saw herself attack Harry, and biting his wrist. She gasped as she watched herself, almost as if someone had hit the rewind button and played it through again.

'Dumbledore says it was when we were in the forest,' Harry said, his voice so low Ginny barely heard. 'That's when Voldemort…when he…' Harry's throat constricted as he tried to speak, and he felt close to tears. Ginny's eyes widened in horror as she realised what had happened.

'No…' she whispered, shaking her head slightly. 'No, it can't be…what have I done?' She closed her eyes tightly to ward off the tears she knew were coming.

'It was off Hogwarts grounds,' Harry managed to say, turning his face away from her and gazing out the window unseeingly. 'It was outside the wards, so you weren't protected.' He was silent a moment, then said unexpectedly, 'It's all my fault.'

Ginny's head snapped up, and she looked at him incredulously. She had expected him to blame her for everything, not himself, and his unexpected comment caught her off guard. 'What?' she finally asked, thinking she'd heard wrong.

'It's all my fault,' Harry repeated, still refusing to look at her. 'If I hadn't lost my temper you would never have been outside the wards and this would never have happened.' His left fist clenched reflexively, and Ginny felt his other hand tighten it's grip on her own.

'Don't be silly,' Ginny sighed, laying her head back on the pillows. 'It's my stupid fault for being possessed in the first place. If I wasn't stupid enough to write in Tom's diary all year…'

'Yes, but I'm the one who took you outside the wards so he could get you,' Harry said, obviously determined to take the blame. Ginny smiled sadly.

'How about we just say it was both our faults and leave it at that?' she asked, and was surprised when Harry chuckled weakly.

'What a pair we make,' he said, finally turning to face her. Ginny could see unshed tears standing out in his emerald eyes. 'I think we may as well just buy this place,' he said, waving his free hand to encompass the room. 'We spend more time here than any other students. This is, what, three times this year one of us has been unconscious in here? This is only the sixth week of classes!'

Ginny giggled, and Harry was immensely relieved to hear something he hadn't for far too long. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, and felt her own arms slide around his neck. They clung tightly to each other for a long time, each soothed by the other's presence. The world faded away, and all thoughts of Voldemort or possession faded with it. There was only them, two beings entwined together by bonds beyond the understanding of either.

Nothing else mattered.

Forgotten on the end of the bed, a small green snake lay watching the two teens as Harry climbed into bed with Ginny and they both fell asleep, locked in each other's arms. Zith's forked tongue tasted the air and found the odor of reconciled love pleasant. She hissed softly in satisfaction, coiling herself into a loop and settling down for the night. As she herself drifted off to sleep, she began to purr softly.

__

A/N: Sorry folks, but I'm feeling dramatic. I have no idea where the biting thing came from…although I have just finished playing R.E. Zero again, so that might be it…

Angelord: _No boxers over pants, don't worry. And don't even get me started on Soccer…_

Nahar:_ favorite story? Now I know you're exaggerating. Thanks anyway, though._

Rednal29: _So much stuff here I can't respond to all of it…oh well. Thanks for the reviews!_

Ava: _That's a very good point, I never noticed that before. Hmm…_

Pegasus: _ All I can say is that you have excellent taste._

IndigoRose: _I can handle the fact that you're "a bit poo" at some sports, everyone is. What I can't handle is that THE POMS INVENTED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE! Sheesh…_

weirdsister: _I couldn't resist putting in some "Australianisms". Far too few stories have them, I reckon…_

Whimsical Firefly: _Nothing wrong with an Irish accent. And just because we're in with NO CHANCE for the cup doesn't mean you have to bring sheep into it (what the hell, go for it). I know several NZ'ers who are going to get the hell heckled out of them tomorrow…_

Mistriss-Genari: _Nice to know I've piqued your interest. As to Harry controlling his emotions, it's a little more complicated than that. You'll see._

AutumnHeart: _I'm not saying anything. But, anything could happen (and frequently does…)_

twins-rule: _No that you mention it, maybe Kheldar and Liselle can make a cameo…or maybe more…they were my favorite characters too, but I'd have to get them just right. Could work…_

Larna Mandrea: _That's the first time I've got THAT response. Cheers for the food, by the way. Sorry, but the position of selfish brat has already been taken by my sister, so looks like you're out of a job…lol_

Melindaleo: _As usual, you see right to the heart of matters…_

David305: _Smartass ;)_

gpotter: _(gags)_

siriusblack08: _Where are these spelling mistakes, exactly? Aussies spell lots of words differently, mind you._

sunni07: _Sorry, but the country that gave the world George W Shrub is NOT the best. And again I say, don't get me started on Soccer…(coughs something that sounds remarkable like "pansy") Cricket and Rugby are the ONLY sports that are worthwhile._


	27. Return Of The Marauders

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Another long one, to make up for the last few which have been short (but good, one hopes).

Lourdes: _You don't have to be a Kung-Foo master to kick someone's hand, my friend. It was his left, for one, so it's not as strong as his right being that Harry's right handed, so it wouldn't take much for him to lose his wand. If he was holding it low, it would be an easy target for Ginny's foot._

With his relationship with Ginny repaired and Voldemort once again banished, Harry's nightmares stopped. He was beginning to strongly suspect that James' theory was right.

Life at Hogwarts settled back into routine quickly, for which Harry was glad. The students had seen so many strange things happening around the castle that the rumours about Ginny's possession barely lasted for a few days before some other silly nonsense took their place.

Since they had once again missed out on getting their robes, Harry and Ginny selected some out of a catalogue and sent away for them. Alex and Isabelle had found robes for themselves, although they refused to tell anyone about them. The Slytherin was becoming a regular sight in the Gryffindor common room by now, to the point where Harry had given up all pretences and simply told her the password so she could come and go as she pleased. There had been some angry muttering about that until Alex had quite casually offered to hex the next person who spoke. Since he had been flanked by both Cassie and Isabelle at the time, and had been idly throwing his wand into the air and catching it again, it was not surprising how quickly the room silenced. The Milton twins had quickly replaced the Weasley twins as "Trouble-Makers-In-Chief" in the Gryffindor common room, and nobody who valued their life and dignity was silly enough to mess with them. The last person who had done that had quite suddenly sprouted feathers at dinner that evening, which had stubbornly resisted all attempts to remove them and had remained for a full three days until they all fell out. The fifth year in question now got very quiet whenever either of the twins were around, and several times Harry caught him looking almost ready to bolt at a sudden noise or movement.

Cassie had casually informed them that she was going to the ball with Seamus, because she thought his accent was "cute". Seamus, who had been standing nearby at the time, had gone very red when she had pirouetted around and planted a kiss on his cheek as if to prove her claim. Harry had noticed Lavender Brown glaring daggers at the other girl's back after she turned away, and foresaw a confrontation in the not too distant future.

With everything that had happened over the last six weeks, Harry found himself constantly at the centre of attention. Quite often students would approach him through the day and ask him for advice on anything from schoolwork, which he could handle, to girls, which he couldn't. Where last year everyone had tried to avoid him as much as possible, this year everyone wanted to be seen with him and the change was a little unnerving. Zith proved to be extremely useful in those situations, as a quick word from Harry and she would emerge from under his robe, hissing warningly. More than one person quickly found something else to do at that point.

The snake seemed to be quite taken with Ginny, and spent almost as much time with her as with Harry. The first time he had seen her enter the Great Hall for breakfast with Zith wrapped around her neck he had gone into an extended coughing fit, with Ron pounding him on the back and Alex and Cassie trying hard not to laugh. Soon enough, however, he got used to seeing the two of them together.

The other way Harry managed to get rid of potentially annoying students was to hold extended conversations with Ginny in Parseltounge whenever anyone tried to speak with him. Hearing the two of them hissing at each other was usually unnerving enough to make the students seek advice elsewhere.

'We probably shouldn't do that,' Ginny commented after one such encounter, watching the Ravenclaw girl fleeing up the corridor.

'Probably not,' Harry agreed placidly. Ginny smirked, her eyes almost seeming to glow in the flickering torchlight. Harry had the sudden urge to kiss her, but refrained as a voice came to them distinctly from somewhere nearby.

'Piss off, alright?'

Harry and Ginny, recognising the voice immediately, hurried up the corridor and turned the next corner to find Isabelle and Alex. Standing in front of them, blocking the passage, were a group of Slytherins, most of which Harry didn't recognise. Alex had his wand out and trained on the girl standing slightly ahead of her fellows, obviously the leader.

'What the bloody hell is going on here?' Harry said loudly. Several of the Slytherins flinched, and the girl glared at him.

'Fuck off, Potter,' she said harshly. 'This doesn't concern you. Turn around and walk away before we have to hex you.'

Harry almost laughed at her audacity. Beside him, he felt more than saw Ginny draw her wand.

'I'd like to see you try,' he sad calmly, stepping up so he stood beside Alex, who was scowling darkly down the length of his wand.

'It's an internal Slytherin matter, Potter,' a boy standing just behind the girl said haughtily, 'between us and the traitor here.'

'Oh?' Harry looked around in mock confusion. 'I don't see any traitor.'

'We're talking about Lestrange, fool,' another boy hissed, pointing at Isabelle, who was watching the proceedings with a faint smile. 'She's betrayed her house by associating with your lot!'

'Betrayed her house?' Alex said incredulously. 'How do you figure? Because she can actually see past the end of her nose and realise that House rivalries are a crock of shit?'

'Shut it, Milton,' the lead girl said coldly. 'You're not Slytherin, so you wouldn't know.' By now, a small group of students had gathered to watch, and Harry was painfully reminded of the Malfoy incident. He was determined not to lose control this time, however.

'What's all the fuss?' Cassie said mildly, threading her way through the crowd to join her twin and Harry. Several DA members along with Neville and Luna closely followed her, and the Slytherins were suddenly looking much less sure of themselves.

'Look, we don't want a fight,' the lead girl said in a slightly condescending tone. 'We just want a word with the traitor, and we'll go.'

'Fine,' Isabelle said, crossing her arms and staring impassively at her housemates. 'Go ahead.'

The girl looked around at the assembled students, who were all watching the proceedings avidly, and licked her lips. 'A _private_ word,' she said finally.

'Let me think,' Isabelle looked thoughtful for a moment. 'How does _no_ sound? Okay with you?'

'Damn you Lestrange!' one of the Slytherins shouted, pointing a finger at Isabelle. 'You're a bloody traitor, and you'll pay for it!'

'Oh shut up, Grice,' Isabelle said in disgust. 'Go eat some more of Malfoy's shoe polish and leave me be.'

'What's all the fuss?' Professor Milton pushed his way through the crowd, unwittingly mirroring his daughter's earlier words. The Slytherins were now looking extremely nervous, and several were trying to edge away.

'Nothing, _sir_,' the lead girl said, looking like she'd been forced to swallow Stinksap. 'We're just trying to have a private word with Lestrange here, and these Gryffindor's won't let us.'

'Ah, I see,' James said, glancing around at the now quite large group of watching students. Harry thought he saw Malfoy's platinum hair near the back, although he couldn't be sure. 'And do you wish to have a private chat with these students, Miss Lestrange?'

'Not really, sir,' Isabelle shrugged. 'Considering it would probably just consist of them calling me a traitor some more, when they've pretty much established that fact already, I think I can live without it.'

'Very well then,' James nodded. 'Twenty points from Slytherin for disturbing the peace, and if this corridor isn't empty in five seconds, it will be fifty more from each house.'

The students vacated immediately, leaving Harry, Ginny, Alex, Cassie and Isabelle alone with the Professor.

James looked at Isabelle steadily for a moment as she smiled back innocently. 'I know what you're going through,' he said finally in a voice so quiet Harry barely heard. 'It's not an easy decision to make. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here.' He nodded briefly to Harry, turned, and strode away.

'What was that about?' Ginny asked curiously. Isabelle didn't reply, but stood gazing after the departing Professor, her expression unreadable.

========

That evening, some time before dinner, Harry was sitting in the common room with Ginny doing homework when Alex and Cassie approached him.

'Can we have a word, Harry?' Alex said in a quiet voice.

'Sure,' Harry said, standing and rolling up the parchment he had been working on.

'You too, Ginny,' Cassie added. Ginny nodded and packed up her stuff too.

'Where?' she asked as she finished.

'We need somewhere private,' Alex said, glancing around at the almost full common room. 'Somewhere we won't be disturbed.'

'How about the Room of Requirement?' Harry suggested.

'Perfect,' Cassie agreed. They crossed the packed common room and climbed out through the portrait hole, and Harry led the way towards the seventh floor.

The room they ended up with surprised Harry quite a bit. There was a low fireplace built into one wall, surrounded with several couches. That much was normal, but what filled the rest of the room was most definitely _not_.

One wall was covered in a massive bookshelf stuffed with books, the titles things like, "_So You've Been Slighted And Need Revenge_" and "_101 Ways To Get Even_". There was a table in the middle of the room covered in what Harry recognised as Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, and standing in one corner was a large cauldron filled with what Harry was fairly sure was Polyjuice Potion.

'What exactly did you two want to talk about?' Harry asked cautiously.

'It's pretty self explanatory, isn't it?' Cassie said, pulling a book titled "_The Art Of Troublemaking_" from the book shelf and flipping through it. 'You saw what those Slytherins did today.'

Alex nodded. 'We've decided that they need to be taught a lesson, and we thought you could help.'

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance, and both smiled. 'We're in,' Ginny said.

'Knew we could rely on you,' Alex beamed, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

'I knew the son of a Marauder wouldn't let us down,' Cassie added.

'How do you know about that?' Harry asked curiously, remembering them referring to the Marauders back on the Hogwarts Express.

Alex smiled slyly. 'State secret,' he said, throwing his sister a sideways look.

'More than our lives are worth to tell you,' Cassie agreed.

'Fine,' Harry smiled, amused by their antics. 'What do you want to do to teach these Slytherins a lesson?'

'Well…'

========

By dinner, everything was ready. The four sat at the Gryffindor table, each trying hard not to laugh as the Hall filled with people.

'What have you four been up to?' Hermione asked suspiciously as she and Ron took their seats.

'Nothing,' Ginny said innocently. 'Just homework, you know, stuff like that.'

'You two haven't been off snogging again, have you?' Ron asked bluntly.

'Relax, Ron,' Cassie said soothingly. 'They were with us all afternoon, I swear.'

'Oh,' Ron nodded. 'That's all right then.'

Suddenly there was a commotion from the Slytherin table. A girl Harry recognised as the leader of the group from earlier had leapt onto the table and was loudly professing her undying love of Snape, who was staring at her in horror from the teacher's table.

One of the loud mouth boys was on his knees begging Malfoy to go out with him. Draco didn't seem to know what to do, aside from kick the boy repeatedly trying to get him to shut up. Soon every Slytherin who had been a part of the group was professing their love to someone else, amid many curses and not a few spells being hurled at them from those unlucky enough to be the targets of their sudden infatuation. Malfoy finally Stunned the boy after him, glaring around at the rest of the hall which was by now in hysterics. The girl who had led them had made her way to the front of the Hall, and was kneeling in front of Snape begging him to marry her. Much to the amusement of the students, Snape seemed flabbergasted, and he couldn't quite seem to summon his usual sneer.

At the Gryffindor table, Ginny was doubled over in her seat, tears of mirth streaming from her eyes as she clutched her side, her breath coming in sharp bursts. Harry wasn't much better off. The Milton twins just sat and watched, both wearing satisfied smirks.

Finally Dumbledore managed to restore order by the simple expedient of putting all the affected students to sleep. As all the teachers who weren't busy laughing helped him get the sleeping students from the Hall, several Gryffindors were putting together what had happened.

'Nice one,' Seamus whispered aside to Alex.

'Yeah, good one,' Dean echoed.

'Cheers,' Alex said, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve and grinning broadly. 'The look on Snape's face made it all worth it, believe me.'

Someone cleared their throat loudly, and Alex and Cassie whirled to find James standing just behind them, his arms crossed and tapping one foot on the ground. The broad grin spoilt the angry effect, however.

'You two know the rules,' he said, snapping his fingers. Instantly both twins' hair turned from midnight black to bubblegum pink.

'Thanks, Dad,' Cassie said mournfully.

'You're welcome,' he smirked. 'Nice job, by the way. What'd you use?'

'Befuddlement Draught,' Alex said, still smirking.

James nodded. 'Not a bad effort,' he said, glancing over to where the teachers were loading the sleeping students onto stretchers. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I have some teacherly duties to attend to.' He winked at Harry. 'Looks like a new generation of Marauders are born, eh?' He walked off quickly, joining the other teachers. He said something that made several of them laugh, including Dumbledore, who threw a quick glance in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

'A new generation of Marauders,' Harry mused. 'I think I like the sound of that.'

'Sounds good to me,' Ginny agreed, placing one arm around his shoulder and pulling him to her.

He kissed the top of her head, then glanced over at the twins. 'What say you?'

The twins glanced at each other, then simultaneously nodded. 'The Marauders reborn,' Alex said with a smirk, reaching one hand out and placing it on the table. Cassie placed hers over his, followed by Ginny, with Harry's hand going on top. Harry felt a slight jolt as their hands united, and he couldn't help but feel that what had just happened was somehow very significant.


	28. Transfers and Transformations

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: This particular chapter was inspired by something JK said some time ago. Incidentally, I just realised that my last two initials are JK…weird, huh? Maybe that's where it all comes from.

Sorry, I went slightly overboard with the Review Responses.

To whoever reviewed and said Ginny's real name is Virginia: _Absolutely not! JK herself confirmed some time ago it was Ginevra. Check the websites if you don't believe me._

Pokey-Oats: _Random reviews and rabidness are good, believe me._

Lourdes: _(bows flamboyantly) One does one's best._

nbkwriter: _True, the return of the Marauders isn't an original idea. BUT, since this is a story of what I think will be likely in canon (or at least what I WANT to be likely in canon) I have to use a few conventions._

GiGiFanFic: _If you're still reading this, then I have this to say. I am 19 myself, so I know how young people speak. I am trying to keep this story authentic and realistic, and that means it will contain swearing. I am sorry if this offends you, but I can honestly say that compared with my everyday speech patterns this story is VERY tame._

Kimberly Grace: _The day Hermione and Draco get together in canon is the day I stop reading Harry Potter. That's some seriously twisted shite._

Melindaleo: _Cheers for pointing out Ron and Hermione's long absence. I get so caught up in writing with my own characters I tend to forget JK's…where the hell are Neville and Luna?_

Esrb99: _What the hell are you on about, no good white rappers? The name Eminem ringing any bells? I agree about the rest, though…Blink-182 rock, and so do Good Charlotte, Greenday, etc…_

Lady of the Dragons2: _That is officially the longest review I've ever got…300 words you reckon? Not a bad effort! Cheers for all the nice things you said about me (well, the fic at least!). I tried to keep the relationships as realistic as I could, and I took all my OC's out of my own novel (James is actually the main character, although in a slightly different form). And Cricket isn't a sport, it's the ONLY sport. Americans just suck at it._

sunni07:_ Nope, sounds like you were playing it right. But that's what makes it fun._

Katy: _The interactions with Dumbledore are based on the fact that Dumbledore is trying to be friends with Harry – not have authority over him – but Harry is still REALLY pissed off with him, not entirely rationally, I'll admit. Ginny isn't helping, either. That will change in the future. As to being a guy writing about relationships, that's funny in so many ways that you would never understand. The Harry/Neo similarities were completely unintentional, I assure you. Or maybe not. So what, I'm a Matrix fan. Sue me._

Wytil: _A Mind Mage is someone born naturally with the ability to perform wandless magic, it cannot be taught. And no, you haven't missed anything._

The Slytherins were a somewhat sullen group the following morning, with the obvious exception of Isabelle. She entered the Hall with Alex and Cassie and sat at the Gryffindor table, pointedly ignoring the many glares coming her way from the Slytherins.

When the remaining food finally cleared from the tables, Dumbledore stood from his place and waited patiently for the assembled students to quiet.

'Last night, a student made a request of me that has only been done a few times in Hogwart's long history,' he said heavily. 'It is not usual to have to resort to such drastic measures, but I feel in this case it may be appropriate, so I have agreed to the student's request. I refer, of course, to a Resorting.'

The Hall immediately broke out into whispers as everyone speculated on who it might be, and what houses they were coming from and going to, respectively.

'Who d'you reckon it is?' Ron whispered aside to Harry.

'No idea,' Harry replied. He noticed Alex smiling a little grimly, and a sneaking suspicion crept into his mind.

'Bet you it's a Slytherin, and they get Sorted straight back,' Ron said in satisfaction, glaring at the Slytherin table.

Dumbledore waited patiently for the room to quiet again. 'Miss Lestrange, could you come up here please?'

This time the students didn't bother to whisper. They spoke loudly and pointed openly as Isabelle stood and, with her head held proudly high, marched to the front of the Hall. Her neutral expression barely even twitched as calls of "traitor!" and other such things came from the Slytherins. While she looked neutral, however, Alex looked murderous.

'They just don't learn, do they?' he muttered darkly under his breath as Isabelle reached the front of the hall. She turned and regarded the Slytherin table, then shook her head.

'I am disgusted that I was ever sorted into Slytherin,' she said in a clear voice that conveyed the depths of her contempt. Several Slytherins leapt to their feet, shouting obscenities at her, but Dumbledore waved them to silence.

'That is quite enough,' he said sternly. 'Ten points from Slytherin. Miss Lestrange has made her choice, and you will not attempt to sway her from it.' He nodded to McGonagall, who came forward carrying the Sorting Hat. 'The results of this Resorting are final, and cannot be changed. They will be entered into the school records, and let no wizard or witch contend what happens here today.'

Isabelle took the Sorting Hat from McGonagall, turning it over in her hands. Harry couldn't see her face from this angle, so he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Finally she turned and placed the Hat on her head, her eyes closed and a calm expression on her face. Harry noticed Alex tense up and couldn't help but wonder what the Sorting Hat would say.

All was silent for a good few minutes. It was the longest time Harry had ever seen the Hat take to Sort someone, including himself. Finally the rip in the Hat opened, and it almost seemed as though it were taking in a deep breath.

'Never expected this,' the Hat muttered, and several people laughed nervously.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

For once, the Hall remained dead silent. Isabelle swept the Hat off her head, handing it back to a stunned McGonagall. Instantly, her robes changed from green trimmed Slytherin to scarlet trimmed Gryffindor. At the same time, her Prefect badge vanished.

'Thank you, Professor,' Isabelle said to Dumbledore, and the old wizard inclined his head to her.

'Why don't you go join your new Housemates? Although by now, I daresay you're not going to be a new feature in the common room tonight.'

'Not really, no,' Isabelle agreed. She turned and made her way back to her place next to Alex, who was now smiling broadly.

'Good one,' Harry said as she sat. He held out his hand with a cheeky smile. 'May I be the first to officially welcome you to Gryffindor?'

Isabelle laughed, a sound that seemed to echo in the vast silence of the Great Hall. She reached out and firmly took his hand. 'Thanks, Potter,' she said, her eyes twinkling. 'Maybe you're not such an arrogant berk after all.'

Slowly the noise level went back up as the students adjusted to yet another strange happening at Hogwarts. Harry was fairly sure he saw coins changing hands along the Gryffindor table, and had to wonder how many had seen this coming. There certainly seemed to have been some bets on.

'But why didn't you _tell_ us?' Hermione was demanding.

'Why?' Isabelle shrugged. 'I only knew it was going ahead this morning. Dumbledore stopped us outside the Great Hall and said I could change if I really wanted to, but I'd have to be Resorted properly.'

'It's true, Hermy,' Alex said. 'Even I didn't know until this morning.'

'Stop calling me Hermy,' Hermione said wearily.

'Of course, Hermy,' Cassie chipped in.

'It's all right, Hermy,' Harry said, patting her shoulder in false sympathy.

'Poor Hermy,' Ginny finished, her eyes welling with fake tears.

Hermione shook her head ruefully. 'What did I do to deserve you lot?' She stood up, stretching slightly in a way that reminded Harry peculiarly of a cat. 'Come on Ron, we have Potions first up.'

Ron groaned loudly and dropped his head onto the table. 'Tell Snape I'm sick,' he suggested, his voice only slightly muffled by the tabletop. 'Better yet, I'll make myself sick. Harry, have you got any Skiving Snackboxes left?'

'Sorry, Ron,' Harry grinned at his friend. 'We used them all last year getting out of Umbridge's classes, remember?'

Hermione finally managed to drag Ron out of the Great Hall, while the whole way he kept coming up with silly ideas to get out of class, culminating in an attempt to get right to the heart of the problem and assassinate Snape. Murphy's law being what it is, Snape happened to be standing near the doors talking to several seventh year Slytherins, and Ron lost twenty points and got a detention for his creativity.

'Poor Ron,' Ginny tried to stifle her giggles with little success. 'Snape's going to give him hell for that.'

McGonagall came over to them almost hesitantly, holding a slip of parchment. 'Here's your new timetable, Miss Lestrange,' she said, with a jerky nod, handing the parchment to Isabelle.

'Thanks, Professor,' Isabelle smiled at McGonagall, who gave a noise halfway between a huff and a snort, spun on her heel and almost fled back to the staff table. Harry watched her go it astonishment. He had never seen the Deputy Headmistress act like that.

'Well, that was interesting,' Isabelle said finally. 'Hope I'll get a warmer reception than that from the rest of the house, now that I'm one of them.'

'Old hatreds die hard,' Cassie commented, her eyes also following their head of house. 'But you never know.'

========

The reaction of the Gryffindors surprised Harry. All through the day they acted like Isabelle didn't exist. Ginny confirmed that classes were the same.

He was even more surprised when he found out the reason behind their behavior.

As he, Ginny, Isabelle, Ron, Hermione and the Milton twins climbed through the portrait hole that evening, they were almost blown right back through by the huge sound that came roaring out of the common room. Every Gryffindor currently attending Hogwarts was assembled in the room, and every one shouted the same words.

'WELCOME TO GRYFFINDOR!'

Numerous hands reached through the portrait hole to haul Isabelle through, leaving the rest to climb through themselves. She herself was shocked speechless as she saw the common room, which had been decorated for a party. Huge red and gold banners hung festooned from the ceiling, and over the fireplace stretched a new tapestry depicting a lion devouring a serpent. Tables had been set up along one wall, and they were covered in platters of food and pitchers of drinks. Standing in the middle of the room, both grinning widely, were the Weasley twins.

'What are you two doing here?' Ron asked, clearly shocked.

'Someone needed a party, and they invited us up here to plan it,' George slapped Alex on the back.

Isabelle laughed delightedly. 'You did this for me?' she demanded of Alex, who shrugged modestly.

''Course he did,' Fred assured her. 'In fact, he didn't shut up about it until we agreed to come.'

Isabelle grinned, and Harry was surprised at how youthful the expression made her look. Her usual neutral expression made her look far older than she was. 'Well, I love it,' she said, kissing Alex on the cheek. Alex blushed lightly, and his face took on a rather silly grin that Harry had seen many times on Ron's face, and was fairly sure had adorned his own a fair few times.

'Speech!' one seventh year boomed, brandishing a butterbeer bottle.

Isabelle laughed helplessly as Alex and Cassie hoisted her up onto a table. 'What can I say?' she said, spreading her arms wide. 'This is great! Slytherin never did _anything_ like this! Can you imagine a party like this with Malfoy strutting around trying to prove how good he is?' That got quite a few laughs.

As she leapt lightly off the table, Harry reflected on the changes a few short weeks had wrought on the ex-Slytherin. He remembered back to the first time he had met her, back at his first class, when she had doubted him. The girl now being hoisted onto Alex, Cassie, Fred and George's shoulders and paraded around the common room all the while helplessly laughing was not the same Isabelle Lestrange, of that he could be sure. The old Isabelle had almost never laughed, and then only in a quiet, dignified way. She had seemed…less than human, almost. But now, it was almost like she was alive for the first time.

Ginny's arm entwined with his, and immediately all thought of Isabelle vanished from his mind. He smiled down at her, and she smiled back. His head automatically tilted forward, catching her lips in a kiss.

'Get a room, you two!' Isabelle yelled as she passed them, still on the assorted twin's shoulders. Unfortunately, that only served to draw Fred and George's attention.

'What, ho!' George said, tugging his twin's arm to stop him. Alex and Cassie, left with the task of holding Isabelle in the air, decided it would be easier to just fall onto a conveniently placed couch, dropping Isabelle with a soft _thwump_.

'Looks like our baby sister isn't a baby anymore,' Fred sniffed theatrically.

'I'll show you how unlike a baby I can be if you want,' Ginny offered, although her eyes sparkled with mischief.

'That sounds like a threat, Missy,' George grinned, placing one hand onto Fred's shoulder.

'More like a warning,' Ginny clarified. 'Do you really want to take on the new Marauders?'

Alex and Cassie had by now joined Harry and Ginny, discreetly aiming their wands at the Weasley twins. Just as Ginny finished speaking they simultaneously cast a spell under their breath. The room exploded with laughter as both sets of twins suddenly sprouted feathers.

Cassie blinked. 'Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.' She was covered from head to foot in blue feathers, as was her twin. The Weasley's feathers were red.

'We put up a deflection spell just before we came in here,' Fred – or maybe George, Harry couldn't tell under the feathers – informed her. 'Just in case any of our former housemates tried anything in retribution, you understand.'

'Good one,' Alex said ruefully, fondling a blue feather. 'At least it isn't pink this time.'

'Nice to see you finally continuing the tradition of your forefathers, Harry,' George (Fred?) placed one arm around Harry's shoulders.

'Yeah, and if you ever need any dirt on Ginny for bribe purposes, give us a call,' Fred smirked.

'Okay, that's enough,' Ginny said quickly, blushing to the roots of her hair and grabbing Harry's arm to lead him away. The Weasley twins grinned identical grins as they watched the young couple wander away.

Sirius was, of course, in his element. He ran among the students barking madly, wagging his tail and giving puppy dog eyes to anyone nearby when no one would pat him. The girls all squealed and said how cute he was, the guys gave him a gruff pat and pretended not to be interested. This was the first time Harry had let him mingle with students other than those he already knew, and he was pleased to see him handling it so well.

Ron and Hermione joined Harry and Ginny as they neared the fireplace, Ron handing them both butterbeers.

A space opened up for them on one of the couches, and they squashed down awkwardly. Hermione ended up solving the space problems by sitting on Ron's lap, and Ginny quickly followed suit by sitting on Harry's.

'Here's to another great year,' Harry said, holding out his butterbeer bottle. The declaration was slightly ludicrous, considering all that had already happened and all that was likely to happen in the future, but the other three raised their bottles and clinked anyway.

'We can hope,' Hermione said quietly before they all drank.

A/N: I just realised that the Weasley twins had yet to put in an appearance in this fic, so here they are. Aren't I nice?

I also realised that there's been almost no R/Hr so far! Stupid author, stupid…but I'm going to rectify that, promise!

Okay, Reviewer opinion time: should I keep going with the current chapter length (around 2000 words a chapter) or make them longer? Bear in mind that less words means more updates, but more words means more update at a time…it's up to you guys!


	29. When Moony Met Padfoot

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Hey all. Well, the consensus was almost exclusively to keep the word count down, so looks like it'll still be a few updates a week. Cheers to everyone who bothered reviewing.

Also, Review Responses will now be at the end of the chapter, as they get longer and longer every time.

Please note that insulting, stupid, pointless reviews will be deleted.__

The Weasley twins disappeared around midnight, funnily enough about the same time McGonagall barged into the common room and insisted everyone go to bed.

Isabelle's good mood lasted right up until lunch time the following day, when she entered the Great Hall in a huff, followed by a smirking Ginny.

'He took points from me!' she said in an outraged tone when she reached the Gryffindor table, dropping into a seat next to Alex. Ginny slipped more sedately into the seat next to Harry.

'Who?' Hermione asked curiously.

'Snape!' Isabelle burst out, glaring darkly at the Head Table.

Ron laughed. 'Yeah, you're a Gryff now,' he said.

'I've never lost points in Potions before!'

'Well, there isn't one Gryffindor here that has never lost points from that slimy git,' Ron said dismissively. 'Hermione is still the only one who can actually make him _give_ us points instead of taking them.'

'Stupid git,' Isabelle muttered darkly under her breath.

'Now you're sounding like a Gryffindor,' Alex said with a chuckle. Isabelle flashed him a quick smile.

'Potter,' McGonagall caught Harry's attention. 'The Headmaster would like to see you this evening, in his office.'

'Of course,' Harry said immediately.

When she had gone, Ginny looked at him suspiciously. 'What have you done now?'

'Nice to see such confidence in me,' Harry laughed, and Ginny smiled apologetically.

'Sorry, that didn't come out quite right,' she said, blushing slightly.

'It's alright,' Harry assured her, standing and kissing the top of her head. 'Come on Ron, Hermione, we have Care of Magical Creatures.'

After dinner, Harry headed down through the castle to Dumbledore's office. Ginny was with him, as usual. He hadn't even thought to exclude her.

In their last meeting, Dumbledore had informed Harry that the gargoyle would respond automatically to the sound of his voice, making the Headmaster always accessible. This explained the ease with which he had been able to enter so far this year.

'Open,' he said distractedly as they reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office, and the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal the moving staircase. When they reached the top, Harry reached out to knock but Dumbledore's voice rang from within before he could. 'Come in Harry, Ginny.'

Harry opened the door and came face to face with Remus Lupin.

'Professor!' Harry stood shocked in the doorway, his eyes taking in Lupin's appearance. The werewolf looked shabbier than ever, his robes tattered and patched. There were huge circles under his eyes, and he had more gray hairs than Harry remembered. His face was lined and careworn, and he looked like he was in his sixties, not thirties.

'Just Remus is fine, Harry,' Lupin chuckled, placing one hand on Harry's shoulder. 'My, it is good to see you again. I could swear you weren't taller than me last time we met!' He smiled a little sadly.

'Remus is just here to give me his monthly report,' Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. 'I thought he might like to see you, Harry.'

'No, that's alright Headmaster,' Lupin shook his head. 'I'll be going now, if you don't mind.'

'Stay,' Harry said immediately, grabbing Lupin's free hand.

'Yeah, come on Moony,' Ginny grabbed his other hand.

Lupin looked a little startled, then laughed. 'Where on Earth did you learn that name, Miss Weasley?'

Ginny shrugged. 'Harry, of course. And if you call me that again, you'll regret it. Just Ginny, please.'

'I'd listen,' Harry warned. 'She's got a temper to match her mother's.'

'I'll be careful, Ginny,' Lupin smiled, and Harry was glad. It made him look much younger again.

'I'll leave you young people to it, then,' Dumbledore chuckled as Harry and Ginny hauled Lupin out of his office.

========

They headed straight for the Room of Requirement. Lupin looked surprised when Harry opened the door to reveal a room that looked like a smaller version of the common room.

'How did we never find this room?' he looked around in wonder.

'Dobby told us about it,' Harry informed him, leading him over to the roaring fireplace and taking a seat on one of the couches. Ginny had disappeared to get Ron and Hermione. 'It changes depending on what you want to use it for. Fred and George said they found it once when they were trying to escape Filch, and then it was only a broom closet.'

'What a cooperative room,' Lupin murmured. 'I'm sure James and Sirius would have loved it.' Harry didn't miss the catch in his voice as he mentioned his best friends.

'Yeah, Sirius thought it was pretty cool,' Harry said casually, watching his ex-Professor's reaction carefully.

Lupin looked at him strangely, then laughed softly. 'I think all this is starting to get to you, Harry,' he said.

'We'll see,' Harry shrugged, settling himself more comfortably on the lounge.

The door opened then, and Ginny entered. 'I couldn't find them,' she reported. 'Probably off snogging somewhere.'

Lupin smiled slightly. 'Those two finally got together?'

'Yep,' Harry confirmed.

'I did find someone to bring, however,' Ginny said with a grin, and opened the door wide. Sirius bounded in, his tail wagging madly as he headed for Harry. Halfway across the room he caught sight of Lupin. He stopped so quickly that he almost toppled over. Lupin's face registered shock, and he sat rigidly in place.

'Padfoot?' he whispered finally, almost inaudibly.

With a loud bark Sirius leapt at Lupin, tackling him off the lounge and onto the floor, and proceeded to lick his face furiously. Lupin quite obviously didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and settled on an odd mixture of both.

Harry put his arm around Ginny's waist and pulled her close as they watched two old friends reunited again. Finally Lupin managed to roll Sirius off him and stand again. Sirius sat back on his haunches, his tongue lolling out in a canine grin. Lupin looked down at the huge dog in wonder, his mouth moving as it tried to form words.

'How?' he finally managed to say.

'I'm not entirely sure,' Harry admitted, guiding Ginny to a couch. Lupin followed, trailed himself by Sirius. When Lupin sat Sirius jumped onto the couch beside him, laying half in his lap. Lupin absently scratched his ears. 'Something about the Powers That Be, or something along those lines.'

'Incredible,' Lupin shook his head, looking down at the dog in his lap. 'I've only ever heard of this happening a few times through history. He must have a very powerful bond to you, Harry.'

Harry nodded. 'The Prophecy,' was all he said.

Lupin's eyes narrowed shrewdly. 'Dumbledore told you the whole Prophecy, then?' When Harry nodded again, Lupin let out a heavy sigh. 'That's a heavy burden for one so young, Harry. Are you sure you're coping alright alone?'

'He's not alone,' Ginny said firmly.

'So I can see,' Lupin said with a faint smile, and Ginny blushed.

'I'm fine, Pro – Remus, really,' Harry assured him. 'I mean, there's not much I can do about it, is there?'

'No, I suppose not,' Lupin agreed, his brow creased in thought. 'Even so, Harry, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here.'

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. As she usually did Ginny picked up on his uncertainty and gave him a light squeeze.

Lupin caught the gesture, and his eyes brightened. 'I really can't wait to tell Molly about this, you know,' he said with a smile. Ginny looked at him a little apprehensively.

'She doesn't know?' she asked, tensing slightly.

'What, you don't think she'd approve?' Lupin looked startled. 'I can assure you –'

'Oh no,' Ginny shook her head. 'I know she'll approve. She's probably already got the wedding planned out. But she's going to be absolutely unbearable when we tell her we're going out.'

Lupin chuckled. 'On second thought, I think I'll leave that honour to you,' he said with a smile. 'Having Molly Weasley screaming joyfully in my ear is not an experience I'd care to endure again.'

'When was the first?' Harry asked curiously.

'When Ron told her he was going out with Hermione.' Lupin winced slightly at the memory. 'My ears are still ringing.'

'That's Mum, all right,' Ginny smirked.

Suddenly the door cracked open. Harry motioned Lupin and Ginny to silence, and all three listened intently as a voice came through the door.

'Come on, there can't be anyone here,' a very familiar female voice said in a low whisper. 'Harry and Ginny are with Dumbledore, remember? And no-one else knows how to…'

Hermione's voice trailed off as she opened the door fully and saw the three now very amused people sitting in front of the fireplace. Her face took on an expression of horror as Ron walked in behind her. Harry was trying very hard not to laugh.

'Hi guys!' Ginny said brightly.

That was all Harry could take. He burst out laughing as both Hermione and Ron turned an almost matching shade of bright red. Lupin and Ginny exchanged a look and also started laughing, while Ron and Hermione stood stunned near the door. Eventually they both smiled hesitantly, and after a moment they started to laugh as well.

'Come in, take a seat,' Harry said when he had calmed enough to talk, gesturing to the empty couch. 'It may not be as good as a snog, but at least it's not breaking any school rules.'

'Trust you to turn up where you're not wanted,' Ron grumbled good-naturedly as he and Hermione sat on the couch.

'We needed somewhere private to talk to Remus,' Harry told them, gesturing to the older man, who smiled and waved slightly.

'There's a secret room on the third floor, near the Charms corridor,' Lupin informed them. 'It usually serves as a place for what you two obviously had in mind. At least, it used to.'

'Why didn't you think to use the Map?' Harry asked curiously.

'This room isn't on the Map,' Hermione reminded him.

'I knew that,' Harry said with a grin.

'Well, that explains why I couldn't find you earlier,' Ginny smirked. 'Out looking for a place to snog, were you?'

'Now, now, children, play nice,' Lupin said with a sly look. 'I'm sure you've had your own little escapades in various broom closets, hmm?' Both Harry and Ginny turned bright red, getting laughs from everyone again.

They talked a while longer, but finally Lupin had to leave. As they were walking towards the door, he stopped suddenly.

'Oh, Harry,' he said, rummaging through his pockets. 'I have something for you.'

From an inside pocket he drew a small silver statue, about three inches high. Harry took it carefully, and it wasn't until he held it in his hands that he realised it was Hedwig. Her wings were spread wide as if in flight, and her beak was open in a silent scream of defiance. She looked exactly as she had all those months ago when she had taken the Killing Curse for him, and Harry felt his eyes well with tears.

'I thought you might like to have it,' Lupin said quietly.

Harry tried to speak but his throat constricted. He took a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself and clutched the statue tightly.

'Thanks,' he finally managed to say, giving Lupin a one armed hug.

'Any time, Harry,' Lupin said with a sad smile. 'Any time.'

A/N: Review Responses!

Lourdes:_ Umm…hate to break this to you, but I'm a guy! I think I should feel insulted…but I'll try to keep the quick updates coming regardless…_

Melindaleo: _Sirius has his part to play in the Prophecy, the same as everyone else. Still, I don't think JK will just let Sirius go. She was very careful to "kill" him in a non-fatal way, did you notice? A Stunner to the chest and falling through the veil…_

actionmaster: _As to your question about chapter ten, Grindelwald was the Dark Wizard working with the Nazis during WW2. He was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945, which is what it says on the back of the Chocolate Frog card way back in Book 1, on the Hogwart's Express (sounding familiar yet?)._

Lady of the Dragons2: _Actually, Remus is one of my favorite characters, but plot has interfered every time I wanted to write him in. Keep reading though, there's some Remus coming up._

Elise:_ The way I see it, Hogwarts robes are black with trim, a tie and a crest that matches the students house. That's one thing I think they did well in the movies, actually._

sunni07: _If you came out of Rugby without a bruise or two, then you were most definitely playing it wrong. And isn't Soccer more or less non-contact?_

CreativeQuill: _Possibly Isabelle would have been effective staying in Slytherin, but if it were you, would you want to be constantly looking over your shoulder in the common room for Malfoy to hex you?_

Mistress-Genari: _Sure you can use Isabelle, but can you send me the chapter before you post it? Just to make sure she's in character. My e-mail address is in my Profile._

Mr. Spock:_ If you can be bothered counting up the days, although I never mentioned it, I did actually put Hermione's birthday on September 19. Cheers for the info, though._

Alima:_ Lots of people have asked me why Ron isn't part of the new Marauders, but in all honesty, I just can't see him as Marauder material. He's not really the type to play pranks, you know? Maybe it's just me._


	30. Suspicions

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

__

A/N: This one's a short one, but the next will be the Ball, and will be really long.

As the Halloween Ball drew closer, Harry was increasingly convinced that Dumbledore had done the right thing. Student morale was higher than it had been since the Yule Ball two years ago, and it was a brilliant way to distract attention from what was happening beyond the safety of Hogwarts. Everywhere Harry looked there were signs of the upcoming Ball, from the massive pumpkins growing in Hagrid's garden to the spell Flitwick taught them to summon live bats.

Ginny seemed to have recovered fully from her second possession, but every so often Harry would catch her with her guard down, and see the look of pain in her eyes. Without fail in those moments, a white hot rage flowed through him, and he felt the powerful need to lash out at the one who had hurt her so badly.

The Friday before the Ball, Harry cancelled his Defense class, as he had a feeling that study was the last thing on most student's minds. Even McGonagall seemed to have bowed to the inevitable, and allowed them to simply practice what they had learned so far this year. That ended rather abruptly when Neville somehow managed to transfigure his desk into a huge spider. The class was immediately thrown into chaos, scrambling over each other in an effort to get away. Harry, Ron and Hermione managed to Stun the spider between them, and McGonagall changed it back into a desk.

'You foolish boy!' she snapped at Neville, who hung his head meekly. 'Ten points from Gryffindor. What were you thinking?'

'Sorry,' Neville mumbled. 'I was trying to…'

'Obviously you weren't trying hard enough,' McGonagall said coldly. Harry had to wonder why she was acting like this. He had seen her get angry before, true, but she had always been fair and not put the students down, like she was with Neville. She had always been patient, but recently it seemed like almost anything could set her off.

'It's my fault,' Isabelle said later when they met her later that evening in the common room. 'Apparently she's really annoyed that a Slytherin managed to get into her House. She thinks I'm a spy, or something.'

'But she's not like that, is she?' Ron asked, obviously confused.

'Wouldn't have picked it,' Isabelle shrugged. 'Maybe it's my mother or something, I don't know. But Professor Dumbledore warned me to be careful around her.'

'McGonagall?' Harry asked, startled. 'Why would you need to be careful?'

Isabelle looked at him strangely. 'Because she might take points or put me in detention, why do you think?'

'Oh.' Harry felt slightly foolish at jumping to conclusions. 'Never mind.'

'You thought _McGonagall _could…that she could…' Ron's face was disbelieving.

'Drop it, Ron,' Harry said quickly.

Ron shook his head. 'Mate, you're getting paranoid, you know that?'

Harry shrugged non-commitally, but he considered Ron's words carefully. _Maybe I am getting paranoid…_

Suddenly a mass of red hair appeared in his vision, and he looked up to see Ginny smiling down at him impishly. 'Whatcha thinkin'?'

'Nothing much,' Harry said, wrapping his arms around her. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ron, Hermione and Isabelle were moving quickly away.

'Don't believe you,' she said, then kissed him softly. 'Now will you tell me?'

Harry widened his eyes in an exaggerated expression of innocence. 'I was just trying to figure out a way to get you to come over here and kiss me, but I suppose that's already happened…'

Ginny giggled and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

'Ouch,' Harry said, rubbing his arm exaggeratedly.

'I'm sorry,' Ginny said contritely. 'Did I hurt you?'

'It's alright dear,' Harry assured her. 'We mighty heroes can endure anything.'

Ginny laughed, then sat next to him on the couch and snuggled close. Harry placed one arm around her, and for some time they were silent, just enjoying each other's company. Harry stared into the fire, his mind pleasantly numb.

'Harry?' Ginny asked hesitantly after a few minutes.

'Hmm?'

'Do you…' she trailed off, and Harry glanced at her curiously. She was biting her lower lip, looking anxious about something.

'What is it?' he asked, cupping her chin in his hand and raising her head so he could look into her eyes.

'Do you like Isabelle?' she blurted, and blushed a very deep Weasley red.

'Of course I do,' Harry looked at her strangely. 'She's a good friend. Why?'

'Not that,' Ginny shook her head. 'I mean, do you _like_ her?'

'What, you mean…as in…' Harry shook his head to clear it. The question, to his mind, was slightly ludicrous. 'Of course not,' he said finally. 'I like _you_, silly. Why do you ask?'

Ginny bit her lip again, then sighed, running her hands through her hair distractedly. 'I don't know, but she seems to like you a lot.'

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. _This could get complicated…_'Alex!' he called.

'What?' Alex's voice came from the other side of the common room.

'Get over here!' A minute later, Alex reached them.

'What's up?' he asked, sinking onto the couch beside Harry.

'Does Isabelle like me?' Harry asked bluntly. Alex looked surprised, then laughed.

''Course not,' he said dismissively.

'Are you sure?' Ginny asked intently.

'Absolutely,' Alex grinned. 'No offence, Harry, but you're not good enough for her.'

'What, so he's not good enough for her but he's good enough for me?' Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Alex's eyes widened as he realised what he'd said. 'Not what I meant!' he said hastily.

'Alex, you're a good friend, but please don't be on my side anymore,' Harry said in a pained voice.

'Umm…got to go!' Alex said, standing quickly and almost bolting across the common room and up the stairs to the dorm.

'The bloody git,' Ginny said darkly, glaring at the stairs where Alex had disappeared.

'That's not what he meant,' Harry said gently, giving her a small squeeze. 'And you heard what he said. Isabelle's not interested in me that way. Can we drop this now?'

'I suppose,' Ginny said doubtfully, settling back against Harry.

'Ginny,' Harry said firmly. 'I'm not interested in Isabelle, or anyone else for that matter. It's _you_ I'm interested in. No one else.'

Ginny sighed, raising her head so she could look into his eyes. All her uncertainty seemed to flow into her gaze, and Harry felt his heart clench as he saw the raw pain in her chocolate brown eyes. The logical mind of Harry James Potter was momentarily overridden by the more primal awareness of the Basilisk, which screamed in impotent fury. Then Harry was back, staring into the eyes of the girl he…loved? He still wasn't entirely sure. But he knew he held very strong feelings for her, feelings that he couldn't put into words.

If Ginny caught his momentary loss of control, she didn't show it. She simply said a single word that somehow contained the entirety of her feelings for Harry combined with her current vulnerability within its syllables.

'Promise?'

'I promise,' Harry assured her, leaning forward to kiss her gently.

__

I will cause hurt to the Dark One for this…

========

Later, after Ginny had gone to bed, Harry was still sitting in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames moodily. His mind was whirling with ideas, but inevitably it kept coming back to the one question Harry found impossible to answer.

__

How the hell am I supposed to stop him? How?

With a roar of frustration Harry slammed his fist down onto the arm of the couch, splintering the wood. He lifted his hand and stared at it abstractly, like it belonged to someone else. Blood dripped slowly down his finger where he had cut it on a splintered piece of wood, and he watched the droplet slowly make it's way down across his hand, catching the flickering fire light briefly, then fall soundlessly to the floor.

There was a faint sound of movement behind him, and Harry's hand twitched almost involuntarily towards his wand. A figure entered the dim light from the fireplace, and Harry relaxed when he saw it was Tonks.

'Wotcher, Harry,' she said quietly, dropping onto the couch next to him. 'Thought you could use someone to talk to.'

Harry noticed something silvery in her lap, and raised one eyebrow slightly as he recognised an invisibility cloak. He didn't comment, however.

'I know it's difficult,' Tonks began, but Harry cut her off.

'No you don't,' Harry said dully. 'You have no idea. No one does.'

'No, I suppose we don't,' Tonks said heavily. They were silent for a long moment, until Tonks spoke again. 'Dumbledore told us, you know. About the Prophecy.'

'Wonderful,' Harry said, his eyes still on the flames in the fireplace.

'I know I wasn't around last time,' Tonks continued, her violet eyes watching Harry carefully, 'but I've been on the front line this time, and I know what it's like out there. We've been lucky so far, and we haven't lost too many people, but it will get a lot worse before it gets better. People are dying, Harry, and you may be the only one who can stop it. I know you didn't ask for this, but no one ever does.' She sighed, dropping her head and rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes. 'I know how many casualties there were last time,' she continued finally. 'People close to you lost loved ones. I just don't want to see history repeat itself.'

Her words brought back memories of speaking to Sirius on the Dream Plane, about how he had lost his fiancée…he thought of his parents, and Neville's parents. Finally he thought of the photo Mad-Eye Moody had shown him last Christmas at Grimmauld Place, of the last Order, as he described their fates. The thought chilled him as he imagined himself in twenty years being like Mad-Eye, pointing out Ron and Hermione in an old photo, and describing how they had died messily in battle…

'What can I do?' Harry asked, finally turning to look at her. 'What can I do against _him_?'

'You can win,' Tonks said simply, laying one hand gently on his shoulder. She suddenly stood, nodded briefly, and swirled the invisibility cloak about herself.

Harry sat on the couch for a long time after she left, his mind comfortably blank as he finally drifted off to sleep.

__

A/N: Ten points to whoever tells me exactly where the 'mighty hero' reference comes from.

Review Responses:

gpotter:_ Sorry, no Alex/Isabelle in this one, but there will be MUCH FLUFFY GOODNESS in the next chapter (the Ball! Finally!). As for length… I'm going to do the whole Sixth year, and I'm only two months in at chapter 30. This one could take awhile…and then, of course, there's always seventh year…Ye Gads, what have I gotten myself into?_

Jimmy: _Thanks for the advice, but I'm using the Telstra Infinite plan (which means Unlimited Hours and Download) so I'm good now. I'm from Mount Eliza, way down south on the Mornington Peninsula. And the misspelling was deliberate, as a reference to the second movie (when Harry uses the Floo from the Weasley's he says, "Diagonilly" instead of "Diagon Alley")_

Mistress-Genari:_ Silver coloured, not actual silver. Good point, though. No idea how you could fit Isabelle into UAaCA, but I'll let you know if I think of anything._

Julia: _Last chapter? Not even close…I suppose there are some similarities between Harry and Neo, but the Centaurs simply meant he is the one marked by the Prophecy._

Whimsical Firefly:_ Aww, you're too kind. Stop rubbing it in! Evil woman…don't make me break out the blonde jokes…As for Cassie, I don't know about pairing her up. Maybe. Any suggestions as to who? And no, this is not stupid or pointless…but, "Are you a poof, little man?" is. As you said, deleted._

Crazy Go Nuts: _The name doesn't exactly promote confidence in your sanity, my friend._

Katy: _I know what you meant, but you'd have to know me to see why that was funny. As to Sirius, he is more Padfoot than Sirius Black, but Sirius is still in there, somewhere._

HarryGinny: _It's not really something you can just bring up in casual conversation, is it? "By the way, we restarted the Marauders!" Nope, doesn't sound right. Lupin will find out though, eventually._


	31. Entrances

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long, but several things came up. Not only am I in the process of moving house, but I had a major case of writers block. But here it is: the first chapter of the Hogwarts Halloween Ball!

By the way, the "Mighty hero" quote was almost verbatim from (yet again) the Mallorean. I'm terribly disappointed in you all…although full points to goddess of war and wisdom_ as the only person who got it right._

****

Attention all Sirius fans! If you're looking for a great fic about Sirius, check out Sirius' Choice_ by Whimsical Firefly. The best fic I've read about just exactly what happens to Sirius after he falls through the veil…so go read and, of course, review!_

The day of the Halloween Ball dawned to a castle bustling with activity. The Great Hall was sealed as it was decorated, so the students were forced to eat breakfast in their common rooms.

By lunchtime, most of the female population of Hogwarts had disappeared to get ready. Ginny gave Harry's hand a brief squeeze before following Hermione and Isabelle.

'Aren't you going too?' Harry asked Cassie, seeing that she hadn't moved from her place next to Alex.

'I suppose,' she made a face.

'Don't worry,' Alex said with a grin. 'You have an entire night of that cute accent to look forward to. Won't that be fun?'

Cassie stuck her tongue out at her twin before she followed the other girls slowly up the stairs, muttering under her breath.

The boys whiled away the hours by holding an impromptu chess tournament. Harry was knocked out in the first round rather spectacularly by Alex, who was in turn barely beaten by Ron. The redhead was looking a little wild as he came closer to a defeat than he had faced since Harry had known him.

Finally, about half an hour before six, when the Ball was scheduled to start, the Gryffindor boys retreated to their dorms to get ready.

Harry studied himself in the full length mirror he had transfigured his Charms textbook into. His robes were a shade of emerald green that matched his eyes almost exactly. They were much fancier than those Mrs. Weasley had bought him in his fourth year. Ginny had told him that this particular cut had been popular back in the fifteenth century. There were a few too many ruffles and other extravagances for his taste, but he had to admit that Ginny had been right, it _did_ look good. On an impulse, he wore the medallion Ginny had given him outside his clothes. The emerald eyes of the Basilisk glinted dully whenever they caught the light.

Ron's robes, thankfully, were free of lace. He wore the robes the twins had purchased him the previous year, simple yet functional. The redhead was currently pulling at the collar with one finger, as if it were strangling him.

'Stop worrying about it, Ron,' Dean laughed, shaking his head.

'It feels…I dunno, really tight,' Ron was starting to get panicky. 'Maybe I can spell it or something…'

He started looking for his wand, but Harry spotted it first and quickly summoned it.

'Oi! Give me back my wand!'

'Ron,' Harry said calmly. 'It's fine. If you try to change it now, you'll only make it worse. Do you want it to be worse than it already is?'

'No,' Ron slumped back onto his bed.

'Here,' Harry tossed the wand back. 'Don't use it on the robes,' he warned.

'Yeah yeah,' Ron grumbled, stuffing the wand into his pocket.

'If you want it adjusted, get Hermione to do it,' Seamus suggested, receiving a pillow in his face for his effort.

'Seriously Ron, it's fine,' Alex assured him. While the other boys all wore coloured robes, Alex wore elaborate robes of deepest black. His long hair was tied back, falling past his shoulders. The dark colour accentuated his pale skin, making him look uncomfortably like Voldemort.

Harry shook his head ruefully. Maybe he _was_ getting paranoid. He was seeing threats of Voldemort everywhere he looked, now it seemed even his friends weren't safe.

He turned and strode to his bed, picking up his wand. He was about to stick it in a pocket, as Ron had done, when Zith rose up from his bed.

'_Allow me, Master_,' Zith wrapped herself around Harry's left wrist, leaving a small gap between herself and the back of Harry's wrist. Getting the idea, Harry slid his wand into the space between his skin and the snake's scales. The result was a makeshift wrist holster, which Harry could access quickly if the need arose.

'Thank you, my friend,' Harry hissed. Zith gave him a look of what he could swear was amusement.

'_One is happy to be of service, Master_.'

Harry smiled and slid his sleeve down to cover the snake, although considering she was almost the same colour as the robes, it was almost unnecessary.

'Come on you lot, it's almost time,' Alex said from the doorway, tapping his watch pointedly.

'I can't do this!' Ron suddenly blurted, his eyes taking on a look of sheer panic.

'Ron, get a hold of yourself!' Harry said sharply, grabbing Ron by the shoulders and shaking him. 'What's got you so worked up? You've been going out with Hermione for two months!'

'But we've never been on a _date_,' Ron emphasized.

'Neither have me and Ginny,' Harry shrugged. 'Just stop worrying, okay? You've known her for six years, you'll be fine.'

'Please don't use my sister in examples like that,' Ron said in a pained voice, reluctantly allowing Harry to drag him from the room.

All the male members of Gryffindor in third year or above were waiting in the common room, some looking apprehensive, some excited, and not a few terrified. Inevitably, all were gazing steadily at the staircase leading to the girl's dorms. The phrase "cattle to the slaughter" crossed Harry's mind briefly, but he quickly squashed it.

'How long do you reckon they'll be?' Ron asked nervously.

'I have no idea,' Harry said in exasperation. 'Ron, will you…stop…worrying…'

He trailed off helplessly, his eyes riveted to the stairs. He barely acknowledged the fact that Hermione, Isabelle and Cassie were there. His eyes locked immediately on the diminutive redhead at the rear of the group descending the stairs.

Her robes were of a lighter green than Harry's, cut in a similar archaic style. Her hair had been elaborately curled, with ringlets spilling down over her left shoulder in a wave of colour. She was smiling somewhat hesitantly at Harry as she reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the room to stand in front of him.

Harry felt like he was frozen. He wanted to say something, to tell Ginny how absolutely gorgeous she looked, but everytime he opened his mouth his mind went blank and the words wouldn't come out. He stood there, staring into her wide eyes for a good half minute before he managed to make a sound.

'Wow,' he breathed, and her answering smile warmed him through. 'You look beautiful, Ginny.'

'Thanks, Harry,' she said a bit whimsically. 'You don't look so bad yourself.'

He extended his arm to her. He was rather proud that he managed to keep it mostly steady. 'Shall we go to the Ball, milady?'

'We shall, milord,' Ginny firmly took his arm, not even twitching when Zith rubbed her blunt nose briefly against the back of Ginny's hand.

As they left the common room, Harry couldn't keep his eyes off the girl by his side. She was not oblivious to his attentions, and a slow blush began to creep up her cheeks.

Finally they made it to the Great Hall, to find the doors standing wide open. They entered to a scene almost unrivaled in Harry's time at Hogwarts. As usual, live bats flocked around near the ceiling, which showed a clear night sky dotted with stars, an oddity since it wasn't dark outside yet. Hagrid's massive pumpkins had been carved into grotesque shapes and situated at intervals around the walls. In place of the usual House banners were masses of orange and black. Massive cobwebs, some as thick as Harry's wrist, hung loosely in the corners, swaying slightly in the breeze from the open doors as if alive. As at the Yule Ball, the house tables had vanished, replaced with many smaller tables, each designed to hold ten students, but the middle of the room was cleared, obviously designed as a dance floor. The Hall was about half full of students already, either sitting at tables or milling around near the entrance. Some were in Halloween dress, some wore simple dress robes.

Harry led Ginny to a table near to where the Gryffindor house table usually stood, holding her chair for her as she sat. It probably wasn't necessary, but he wasn't thinking too clearly at the moment and Ginny didn't comment.

They were soon joined by Ron and Hermione. 'Thanks for waiting, mate,' Ron said as they sat.

'Huh?' Harry's eyes snapped away from Ginny to rest on his friend. 'Did you say something?'

Ron grinned. 'Nothing, mate,' he said dismissively.

'Good,' Harry said distractedly, not even hearing Ron's amused snort.

'Harry,' Ginny giggled. She tilted her head in Ron and Hermione's direction.

'What?' Harry asked, confused. Comprehension dawned in his eyes. 'Oh.' He blushed, ducking his head slightly, then turned to face his two best friends. 'Sorry guys,' he apologised.

Ron was watching him with a grin, which Harry returned. Hermione was dressed in light blue robes, and as at the Yule Ball, she had straightened her hair. Much more than that didn't register as Harry's attention was again taken by Ginny. Ron chuckled, and Hermione shook her head with a smile.

They were soon joined by Neville and Luna, the former in robes of deep blue and the latter a paler blue trimmed with bronze. Luna's blonde hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and she was once again wearing her necklace made of butterbeer corks. Ginny had told him some time ago that Luna's mother had given the necklace to her the day she died, which was why the Ravenclaw loved it so much.

The Hall continued to fill, and Cassie and Seamus joined them. The former was smirking in satisfaction and the latter was blushing furiously. Harry briefly wondered what she had done to make the Irish boy blush, as he wasn't usually easily embarrassed. He decided he really didn't want to know.

Finally, when the Hall was mostly full, Alex and Isabelle made their entrance. Isabelle wore robes similar to her date's, a shade of black so absolute it almost seemed to swallow the light. Her hair had been left loose except for two long braids which had been entwined with silver threads and wound around her head, so they resembled a dark crown. They made quite a couple, and eyes from all corners of the Hall turned to follow their progress. Harry was a little surprised to see a silver embossed sword hilt at Alex's hip. His eyes followed the line of the hilt to find a black scabbard. The final effect was of a gothic prince and his princess, and Harry's blood ran cold as he watched the two approach.

'Hey guys,' Alex said with a smirk as they reached the table and took their seats.

'You two look great,' Ginny said warmly, nudging Harry lightly in the ribs.

'Where'd you get the sword?' Harry asked Alex curiously.

'What, this?' Alex drew the sword with a steely hiss, holding it up to the light. The blade was not the bright silver that Harry had expected, but a dull black with a vaguely Celtic motif engraved in blue near the top. 'It used to be Dad's, back when…well, you can probably guess. He let me borrow it for tonight. Dumbledore wouldn't let me bring it unless I put a Blunting Charm on the blade, though,' Alex explained, demonstrating by drawing the edge of the blade across his wrist, which remained unmarked. With a flourish, he slid the sword home.

'Your attention please!' Dumbledore called from the front of the Hall where the head table usually stood. A round table somewhat bigger than the others had replaced it, and seated around it were most of the Professors. For obvious reasons, Firenze was absent, as was Trelawney.

'Welcome one and all to the Hogwarts Halloween Ball!' Dumbledore beamed around the Hall, and there was a light smattering of applause. 'Before we get officially underway, I have a few announcements. Firstly, there will be a competition later for Best Dressed Couple, judged by a panel of Professors and students. Any couple who wants to enter should see myself, Professor McGonagall, or Professor Milton.'

'Secondly, I know it is customary for students to seek out the rose gardens and a little more privacy as the night wears on, but I ask that students restrict their movements to inside the castle.' Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and there was a titter of nervous laughter. 'Further, the main doors of the castle will be locked until tomorrow morning.'

The Headmaster clapped his hands together sharply, and with a great booming noise the massive doors out in the Entrance Hall snapped shut. For the second time in Harry's years at Hogwarts the doors sealed themselves closed, the huge locking mechanisms clicking loudly into place. There was an excited murmur from the Great Hall as the noise stopped.

'I assure you all, these measures are for your own safety,' Dumbledore said reassuringly. 'Now, enough of such maudlin matters. This is a Ball!'

He clapped his hands sharply together again, and with a sharp _crack_ orange and black confetti appeared all over the Hall, showering everyone present. The students cheered, but Harry noticed some of the teachers looked less than pleased. In particular, Snape looked like it was taking all his self control not to leap to his feet and start decapitating people, starting with the Headmaster.

Harry smiled to himself as he looked back down at the table, where in front of every person a menu had appeared. _This is going to be an interesting night_…

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A/N: No, this isn't the end of the Ball. Stay tuned for the next chapter soon…

Review Responses:

Crumpled Paper: _Basketball? BASKETBALL?!? Bloody Americans…cricket is the ultimate sport, but it was demonstrated definitively that Americans can't play it when the Canadians started an International team and they got absolutely FLOGGED. Poor bastards…_

Evansk: _See above. Cricket is not like Baseball in the least. If you're going to London, you have to know Cricket, my friend. The English invented the sport…course, the Aussies are still the best. And I'm not just saying that. We haven't lost a test series for about five years now. And that's not even mentioning Sir Donald Bradman…_

Whimsical Firefly: _Several million? I wish…_

Saerry Snape: _Saerry read and reviewed…what do I do? I know…AHHH! (runs screaming) Just kidding…but I really didn't expect a "moody Slytherin who likes the colour black" (to quote one of your old Profiles – sad, huh?) to like this story…shows how much I know, huh? I know, I know, I'm rambling. Sorry. Thanks! Erm…yes. Update NM!_

Hermione2be: _James will become more important as the story progresses. That's all I'm saying._

clcountry: _I take it you're not a Slytherin then…_

sunflowerchild: _I think I should be offended…_

Julia: _Most of the students are just staying quiet (wouldn't you?) but the DA knows Harry better than the rest, and aren't going to turn on him after one little incident. Okay, a big incident, but still…_

JCsDancerGurl: _Hurrah! Someone cottoned on…you are the only one who worked out what Tonks was doing! I'm glad SOMEONE figured it out._

siriusblack08: _I don't mind in the slightest. Send me the first chapter when you've finished it, and I'll take a look._


	32. The Consequences Of Dancing

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: Greetings all! I seem to have caused a bit of confusion with the last chapter, so I'll clarify a few things here. Alex has black hair, pale skin, and was wearing black robes. The combination was just enough to make Harry think of Voldemort. Sorry if I confused anyone into thinking he actually looked like Voldemort, because he didn't.

This chapter's a bit of an experiment, so let me know what you think. It's the first time I've written from someone other than Harry's perspective, too. Anyway, on with the chapter! Michael bashing, anyone? I've been waiting a long time for this moment…

The Ball consisted of a three-course meal, after which all the tables moved back closer to the walls to enlarge the dance floor and the band Dumbledore had hired trooped onto the stage at the front of the hall. Harry didn't recognise them, but from the excited whispers they generated they must have been fairly popular.

The lead singer and guitarist, a man in his mid twenties with hair dyed an almost fluorescent blue, made an odd gesture from the front of the stage. Immediately the Hall broke into cheers, leaving Harry a little confused.

'How y'all doing Hogwarts!' the man roared, and the Hall cheered again. 'Alright, just get out there and enjoy yourselves, and we'll take care of the music!'

With that the band launched into a rendition of a song Harry knew he'd heard before but couldn't quite remember the name of. The dance floor quickly filled up as many students led their partners out to dance.

Harry fidgeted nervously for a moment. He remembered with painful clarity the last "Ball" he had attended. Of course, that had been with Parvati, not Ginny, and he had been the centre of attention as one of the contestants in the Tri-Wizard tournament. He glanced nervously at Ginny. She stood quietly beside him, her face neutral. Her foot was tapping lightly in time to the music, and he knew she was waiting for him to ask her to dance.

A short distance away, Alex extended his hand to Isabelle. She smiled a little impishly, and the couple made their way out onto the dance floor. Harry watched them a moment, then heard Ron on his other side asking Hermione to dance. He looked around close to panicking as Neville and Luna went also, closely followed by Cassie and Seamus. He and Ginny were alone.

He glanced over at Ginny again. She was watching him with a slightly sad smile. 'We don't have to dance if you don't want to,' she said quietly, taking his hand within her own.

Harry took a deep breath, glancing out at the floor again. Alex and Isabelle were easy to spot, perhaps because no one was willing to get within a few feet of them. Alex's sword didn't seem to get in his way much, and Isabelle had a broad smile on her face. Both seemed to enjoy the attention they were getting as they danced exuberantly in time to the fast paced song. Ron and Hermione were not far away, and just beyond them Harry could make out Neville and Luna.

'No,' Harry said firmly, more to himself than Ginny. Reminding himself that he was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindor's are supposed to be brave no matter what, he turned to face her, extending his hand a little shakily. 'Would you like to dance?'

Ginny's smile was immediate, and it lit up her face. 'Of course,' she smiled, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

Soon enough the first fast song ended, and the band began another, much slower number. All around them couples were moving closer to each other, dancing in a more traditional way.

Harry awkwardly took one of Ginny's hands with his own and placed the other on her waist. She smiled at him, grasping his hand firmly, and as he looked into her eyes some of his nervousness melted away.

'Just go with it,' Ginny whispered, as they started to dance. He found it much more pleasant than at the Yule Ball, when he had danced with Parvati. Ginny was much more relaxed, and the couple were content to simply be near each other. Harry felt a little more nervousness leave him.

Alex and Isabelle glided past, her head rested on his chest. Ginny smiled again as she watched the couple dancing. Alex looked up briefly and flashed Harry a quick grin, which Harry returned.

'They look so good together,' Ginny sighed as they moved away.

'Yeah, they do.' Harry may not have been an expert on these matters, but even he could see that.

The next couple of songs were fast ones, and Harry found that he was beginning to enjoy himself as he danced with Ginny. The band announced that they would take requests, either Wizarding or Muggle songs, and someone requested a Wizarding dance tune.

As the song ended, a dark skinned boy threaded his way through the crowd until he reached them. 'Care to dance, Ginny?' he offered his hand, completely ignoring Harry. Harry's straightened slightly as he realised who the boy was: Michael Corner.

'Umm…' Ginny glanced at Harry, who shrugged slightly.

'I don't mind,' he said. 'If you want to, go ahead.'

Ginny hesitated, but Michael apparently took that as a yes. He grabbed her hand and led her away as the band started up another slow song. Harry almost went after them, but instead he turned and made his way over to a long table that had been set up against the wall, where light snacks and bottles of Butterbeer vied for room. Ignoring Malfoy, who was standing nearby glaring at him with Pansy Parkinson hanging off his arm, Harry grabbed two bottles and made his way to their seats, waiting for Ginny to come back.

As the song neared the end, Harry clearly heard a squeal of indignation and a sharp slap over the music. Harry half stood, his wand seeming to appear in his hand, as he recognised Ginny's voice.

'How bloody _dare_ you!' There was another sharp slap, and the crowd parted slightly to allow Ginny to leave the floor. Her face was red with anger, and she came immediately to where Harry was sitting, dropping into her seat with a huff.

'What happened?' Harry asked tersely.

'Michael bloody Corner, that's what!' Ginny burst out, grabbing the second Butterbeer and taking a long drink. 'Stupid arrogant git…'

'What did he do?' Harry asked in a quiet voice. Images were beginning to fill his mind, images of a dark skinned boy screaming in agony as he was slowly tortured…he firmly shoved the images away.

'He tried to…to…feel me up!' Ginny said indignantly, her face flushed. She glared back at the dance floor, where Michael, wisely, was nowhere to be seen.

'He did what?' Harry asked flatly.

'You heard,' Ginny muttered.

Harry stood slowly, his mind filled with a white hot fury that coursed through him in waves, obliterating rational thought. He stalked towards the dance floor, roughly shoving anyone out of his way as he searched for Michael.

'He's over there,' Ron nudged his shoulder, pointing to a dark corner. Harry could just make out a figure crouching in the shadows. Without a word Harry headed directly for the corner, shoving the massive fake spider webs out of his way. Ron made to follow him, but Hermione grabbed his arm.

Michael tried to bolt, but Harry pulled him back with a Summoning Charm. He grabbed Michael's neck, lifting him off the floor as the younger boy struggled to escape, kicking at Harry repeatedly, blows he never even felt. It took a great deal of Harry's self control not to just snap his neck right there and then.

'If you ever, _ever_, so much as _talk_ to my girlfriend again, I'll kill you myself,' Harry hissed, his mind still filled with flames. Michael nodded furiously.

'Of course,' he stammered, his eyes wide with fear. 'Don't know…what came over me…I'm sorry…'

Harry negligently tossed Michael into the wall, where he slumped to the ground, shaking in fear. There were several bright flashes, and Harry turned to see a photographer holding a camera and snapping madly. The music had stopped, and the students and teachers were staring at Harry in shock.

'Harry! Mister Potter!' A witch in crimson robes was hurrying towards him. 'Michelle Murray, _Witch Weekly_. Why are you threatening this boy? Would you care to comment?'

'No,' Harry growled. 'I would not.' He turned and walked away, but the witch grabbed his arm and pulled him back around.

'Please, just a few words. What did this boy do to…'

'I said no!' Harry snarled, roughly shaking the witch's hand from his arm. 'Leave me alone!' Harry spun on his heel and raced from the Hall. Ginny, who until now had been standing in shock on the other side of the Hall, bolted after him.

The last thing Harry saw as he ran from the Hall was the reporter talking excitedly with Neville.

========

Ron looked on in satisfaction as Harry threw Michael Corner into the wall. _Stupid git deserves it. Where does he get off, trying to feel up my baby sister?_

He and Hermione were close to the edge of the dance floor, so they had a clear view of what was going on. They watched Harry shake off the reporter and storm from the room, and then Ginny run after him.

The reporter had closed in on Neville, who seemed to be trying to get rid of her, without much success. Ron saw Dumbledore, McGonagall and James in the corner, obviously checking on Michael. Snape was watching the doors, an unusually thoughtful expression on his face.

'Come on,' Ron muttered to Hermione. 'Let's go help Neville.'

She nodded, and the couple quickly made their way towards where the reporter was grilling Neville for information.

'Is Mister Potter prone to losing his temper?' the reporter asked, her notepad and quill ready to jot down answers.

'No,' Neville replied, his eyes darting around the Hall. 'Well, only when someone hurts his friends…'

'So what did Mister Corner do to deserve Harry's wrath?' the witch asked promptly.

'Umm…'

'The git tried to feel up Harry's girlfriend when they were dancing,' Ron said hotly as they reached them. Silence once again reigned in the Hall as Ron's loud statement filtered through, and the reporter immediately forgot about Neville, who slipped gratefully back into the crowd.

'And you are…'

'Ron Weasley,' Ron said firmly.

'And who is the lucky girl?' The witch asked, her breath held in anticipation.

'You…you don't know?' Ron faltered, confused. He was sure that someone would have found out by now, and that it would be all over the papers.

'No, of course not,' the reporter glanced darkly at Dumbledore, who was now watching the scene unfolding, making no move to intercede. 'Care to shed some light on the subject?'

'No he would not,' Hermione said, making to lead Ron away.

'Miss Granger, correct?' the reporter smiled in triumph as Hermione stood stock still. 'You wouldn't perhaps be the one, would you care to comment?'

'No she isn't!' Ron rounded on the reporter. 'She's going out with me, not Harry!'

'Harry's two best friends dating!' The witch looked about ready to start bouncing off the walls with excitement. 'So if not Miss Granger, then who?'

'That would be me,' a clear voice came from the doors. The witch whirled around to find Ginny striding across the Hall in her direction.

'And you are…?'

'Ginny Weasley,' Ginny said, but before the reporter could ask anything else, she spoke again. 'That's Ginevra, not Virginia. And no, I will not answer any more questions. You have your story, now please leave.'

'But…'

'Remember what happened to the last person who pissed Harry off?' Ginny said warningly. 'You're coming very close to pissing him off.'

The witch glanced nervously in the direction of Michael Corner, who was now laying on a stretcher conjured by Dumbledore. She licked her lips, obviously weighing up the choice of more information against possible bodily harm, then she nodded quickly and left the Hall, followed by her photographer.

========

Harry only made it as far as the Entrance Hall before Ginny caught up. Her voice made him stop abruptly in his tracks, his anger dissipating as he turned to face her.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered. 'I lost control again. I shouldn't have…'

Ginny stopped him talking by kissing him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he pulled away quickly.

'What…but…how…huh?'

Ginny giggled softly. 'I'm not angry at you, silly,' she chided, moving across the hall and sitting on the bottom step of the marble staircase. Harry followed in a daze. 'You were defending me, how could I be angry about that? Besides, all you did was scare the hell out of him and give him a concussion. No lasting damage.'

Harry sighed, running his hand distractedly through his perpetually messy hair. 'I still lost control, and I shouldn't have,' he said pensively.

'Harry, everyone loses control once in a while,' Ginny said gently. She smiled wryly. 'You just do a bit more damage than others.'

Harry laughed weakly, leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder. She tilted her own head to rest on top of his, and her hand sought out his and gripped it tightly. They sat for a long moment without moving, until finally Harry sighed.

'I suppose we'd better go back in,' he said unhappily.

'I'll get rid of the reporter,' Ginny promised, standing and moving towards the doors. 'You hide somewhere so she doesn't try to talk to you when she's leaving.' She slipped through the doors.

Harry smiled briefly, standing and climbing to the top of the stairs. He had to wonder just what he had done right to deserve such a wonderful girl.

He saw the reporter leave, and rather apprehensively went back down stairs and re-entered the Hall. All noise abruptly ceased as he stood near the doors, and it took all his self control not to bolt as every eye in the Hall turned to look at him.

Professor Milton was the first to move, walking towards Harry with a smile. 'You really need to learn to control your temper, you know,' he said quietly, shaking his head in amusement. 'Still, I think you got your point across. I doubt anyone will touch Ginny for quite some time after that little display.' When Harry looked guilty, James grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. 'Don't worry, you're not in much trouble. Dumbledore knows why you did it, and you didn't really do much damage, just gave him a scare. We'll talk about suitable punishments tomorrow.' James shook his head again. 'Remind me to never piss you off,' he muttered, then raised his voice. 'Come on, this is supposed to be a Ball!' he said loudly, placing one arm around Harry's shoulders in a fatherly gesture that Harry wasn't quite sure how to take. 'What happened to the music?'

As James led him back to where all his friends stood, he decided that he liked it. In some ways, James reminded him not only of Sirius, but of how he imagined his father would have been, had he lived. The comfort Harry drew from James' simple act of placing an arm around him in a half hug was an extraordinary feeling, and completely new. He wondered about this new revelation as the Hall once again filled with the sound of music and the dancing began again.

__

A/N: More Ball to come! Not finished yet…the night is still young!

Before anyone asks, no, James Milton is NOT James Potter in some form of disguise. That's just too weird. He just happens to have the same name, which incidentally I used because it's my middle name, not as a reference to James Potter in any way, shape or form. Just thought I'd let you know.

Review Responses:

Magnus Thorson: _They haven't started yet. Don't worry, they're coming, probably after Christmas._

sunni07: _Comparing AUS and NZ? What's the point? They're practically our 7th state anyway…(dodges multiple flying objects thrown by NZ readers) As to how cold it gets, it's not really that extreme, but it's without ANY of the benefits you get with coldness, like snow (it never, and I mean NEVER, snows here). But in winter, as it is now, the average _high_ temp is about 10 degrees C. Or there abouts. And if you want me to take a look at your story, just e-mail it to me as an attachment._

Sauron the Deceiver: _Hurrah! Someone with a brain…Cricket rules, and AUS rules Cricket! Granted, the All Blacks are probably second, but we're still better:) And WTF is the deal with gridiron? They call THAT a sport? Those guys wouldn't last ten seconds in Rugby…now that would be funny to see._

Kaylee-Smith: _Sure, just send it to me as an attachment (my address is in my Profile). I don't mind unusual…_

Lady of the Dragons2: _What on earth gave you the idea Alex was blond? Both he and Cassie have black hair. And my sport is Cricket._

Harry: _I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. ;) A Brit that thinks Cricket is for Nancy boys? Now I've seen everything…but you're just saying that because the English suck at Cricket…How many years since you beat us? Five? Something like that…come on, the last game we won by a full Innings and about 400 runs._

MsMissProngs: _Ahh, it's all in good fun, don't mean nothin' by it. And I'm offended to be called a Brit…I'm an Aussie, thank you very much. We're as like to the Brits as Americans are like Iraqis._

athenakitty: _Peaceful and Harry are oxymorons._

Melindaleo: _Honestly, I couldn't remember what colour Ron's robes were, and I couldn't be bothered to look it up._

shrek: _Don't you mean the other way around? India hasen't won against us in at least three years…and at one stage, we were undefeated for twenty two tests, a world record. We now have the best bowler (Warne), we had the best batsman (Bradman) and we have the best wickety (Gilly)._

Saerry Snape: _Yes ma'am! Ramble I shall! I think that was the Profile you had when I first started reading, which would make it about 18 months ago or something. Cripes, has it been that long? How can you even contemplate finishing NM? Evil woman…it's the only one of my original stories that's still going. I, for one, will be very sad to see it go…sequel! Sequel! Sequel!_

Mistress-Genari: _Harry didn't really want to make a huge impression, for obvious reasons. You want me to draw? (laughs hysterically) Sorry, but I can draw about as well as George Shrub can run a country. As to what Cassie did, she (censored). ;)_

twins-rule: _I didn't know Zith sliced and diced…_

harryptaxd204: _Grab your torch and pitchforks! Kickball?!? You reckon that's better than Cricket? What the…?_


	33. Attack Of The Killer Post It Notes

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

__

I wrote this whole chapter in about an hour, so forgive me if it seems a little odd. I was stuck, and just started writing. This was the result. Oh well…enjoy!

From across the Great Hall, Alex watched a rather despondent looking Harry Potter being escorted by his father. His mouth twisted into a smirk as he glanced at his twin sister out of the corner of his eye.

'You know, I think young Harry could do with some cheering up,' he remarked.

Cassie returned to sideways look, and her lips formed an identical smirk. 'I rather agree,' she bantered.

'Can I help?' Isabelle reached out and took Alex's hand, grinning impishly.

'Of course you can't,' Alex grinned back. Isabelle shot him an annoyed look, but her eyes told him a different story. 'What I want you to do is go over there and distract Harry, Ginny and the others. This is a job for the Marauders.'

'Of course,' Isabelle kissed Alex lightly on the cheek before turning and heading off. Alex watched her leave, smiling in appreciation as her hips swayed enticingly inside her robes.

'Enough,' Cassie said, tapping him on the nose with two fingers. 'We have work to do, remember? You can admire Isabelle's rear some other time.'

Alex laughed, leading the way from the Hall.

========

Isabelle reached Ginny, Ron and Hermione at the same time Harry did. The raven haired Gryffindor was immediately swept into a tight hug from Ginny, as Ron and Hermione watched fondly. Isabelle caught their attention and motioned with her head, and the three moved a short distance away.

'Alex and Cassie are going to do something to cheer Harry up,' she said in a low whisper. 'Knowing those two, that means a prank. Our job is to keep Harry distracted until they can get set up.'

'What are they going to do?' Hermione asked suspiciously. Isabelle supposed that was the shiny Prefect's badge on the front of the older witch's robes talking.

'I have no idea,' the ex-Slytherin admitted. 'Although Alex mentioned something about "the Marauders", and this being a job for them. What does that mean?'

Ron and Hermione exchanged a long look, and Hermione sighed. 'It's a long story,' she said.

Isabelle glanced over at Harry and Ginny, who were still locked in their embrace. 'Looks like we've plenty of time,' she remarked dryly, as the couple showed no signs of releasing each other in the near future. 'This distraction thing could be easier than I'd thought.'

It was only then she realised that James had vanished.

========

James was, in fact, in the Entrance Hall. He stopped briefly near the massive doors, staring hard at a spot some three feet to the left of the entrance. A slight shimmer in the air told him he was spot on, and he flicked his wrist casually. The hood on the Invisibility cloak dropped down to reveal the face of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

'I still don't know how you do that, Milton,' the black wizard said in his deep, quiet voice.

'He's been doing it to me all year,' a rather indignant female voice came from just behind Shacklebolt. A second later, Tonks' head appeared. 'The amount of times Harry has almost caught me because of him…'

'If you had taken my advice and told him from the outset, you wouldn't have to hide from him,' James said matter-of-factly. 'As it is, the longer you delay, the angrier he will be.'

'I know,' Tonks made a face. 'But Moody insisted, you know that.'

'Oh yes,' James said dryly. 'I know Moody, all right.'

'Hey!' Another voice hissed, and the head of Alastor Moody appeared. 'If you've all forgotten already, we're supposed to be guarding the doors. Remember?'

'All right, all right,' Tonks sighed. 'It's just so _boring!_' She brightened. 'But Harry and Ginny were cute, weren't they?' At James puzzled look, she elaborated. 'Ginny caught up to Harry at the bottom of the steps, and basically kissed him into submission.'

James chuckled. 'I have very high hopes for that young lady,' he said with a smile.

'Talk later,' Tonks said fleetingly as she vanished again under her cloak. Moody and Shacklebolt vanished a second later.

James chuckled to himself, then headed for the marble staircase, following a magical trail only he could see. He was curious as to what his two children were doing _this_ time.

========

'They have to be here somewhere…' Alex said, his voice slightly muffled. He was currently rooting around in his trunk, and his head was almost hidden as he reached deeper.

'Take your time,' Cassie muttered, glancing curiously around the boy's dorms from her place on the end of Alex's bed. _Not so different from ours, really_, she mused, idly trying to figure out which bed belonged to who. Ron's was easiest, only he could be that messy. Seamus was also easy, as was Dean, judging by the huge football poster hanging above his bed. Alex's she knew, and she recognised Neville's plant thing on his bedside table, but she was buggered if she could remember what it was called. Which left the last bed as Harry's. It was odd, but except for the trunk at the bed's foot, it looked almost unused.

Curious, she got up and walked over to Harry's bed, looking for anything personal. At first she thought the bedside table was bare, bar a few textbooks thrown carelessly down. But something didn't seem quite right. Her eyes seemed to slide off the tabletop if she stared too long, which in her experience was a sure sign of an illusion spell.

She drew her wand and tried to cancel the spell, but she may as well have tried asking it nicely, for all the effect it had. Now even more curious, she tried a more powerful Disenchantment. For a moment the top of the table seemed to waver, and then the illusion dissolved.

What Cassie had thought were books quickly changed shape before her eyes. There were three objects on the table. The first, closest to the bed, was a wizard photo of Ginny. Cassie smiled slightly as the photo version of the youngest Weasley waved, an impish grin on her face.

The second object was a small statue of an owl in flight. The owl's beak was open, as if she were screaming, and her wings were flared. From the few tidbits of information she had garnered from Harry's friends, Cassie assumed this was Harry's beloved Hedwig.

The third item was also a photograph. As Cassie picked it up, she smiled again as she saw who the photograph contained. Harry stood near the centre, waving, his arm around Ginny. Ron was next to them, with his arm around Hermione; both were beaming. Alex and Cassie were slightly behind the rest, both making faces at the camera. Isabelle, wearing her Slytherin robes, stood off to one side, rather hesitantly smiling.

Cassie remembered the day well. It had been during one of Harry's defense classes, not long after they had begun. Colin had been practically bouncing off the walls when Ginny asked him to take a photo of them. Cassie had been mildly surprised when she and Alex had been invited into the photo, and at the same time strangely honoured. But Isabelle's inclusion had stunned not only the then-Slytherin, but everyone else in the room, too. Although only a few had known the true import of what Isabelle's family stood for, it was widely known her mother was a Death Eater. For Harry to invite her into the photo, which had been supposedly only his closest friends…it had been surprising, to say the least.

Idly, Cassie flipped the frame around. There was something written on the back in Harry's messy scrawl.

__

I think these are the ones Gryffindor was talking about, the Helpers. I don't know how I know this, but I do. These are the ones I can count on.

Wordlessly, Cassie crossed the room to her twin and showed him the photograph. Alex stared at it for a second, then flipped it over. His eyes widened in surprise as he read the note on the back, and he smiled slightly.

'Right, now we have to give him something extra special,' he said, handing the photo back. 'And I know just the thing.' He held up a piece of parchment and smirked.

========

James watched the twins leave the dorm from his place atop Neville's bed, then dropped soundlessly to the floor. He shed the invisibility spell and headed for Harry's bedside table. From his vantage point, he hadn't been able to see the photo or read the note, and he wanted to find out what the fuss was about.

A moment later he slipped out of the dorm, a smile threatening to form as he headed back down to the Great Hall. He wasn't about to miss the show.

========

Back at the Ball, the party was getting loud again. It had been a but subdued after Harry's outburst, but as was usual at Hogwarts it was quickly forgotten. The band played, the students danced, and Snape stalked the Great Hall taking points from anyone he could.

Harry and Ginny were locked in each other's arms, although now it was on the dance floor. They rocked slowly back and forth in time to the haunting song being played, allowing themselves to be swept away by the compelling notes.

The song finally ended, and the room burst into applause. Harry and Ginny finally separated, if you could call it that. Harry's arm remained firmly around Ginny's slim waist as he led her from the dance floor.

'Interesting little tantrum, Potter.'

Harry sighed heavily, closing his eyes tightly and hoping that Malfoy would go away. It was wishful thinking, and he knew it.

'I always knew you were pathetic,' Malfoy continued, as Harry pointedly ignored him. 'Getting that riled up over a Weasley. God, Potter, you're pathetic.'

'Just leave it alone, Malfoy,' Harry said wearily, turning to face his nemesis. 'Are you capable of doing that for one night, or would you like to be slammed through another wall?'

Malfoy paled slightly, but rather bravely continued. 'You can't get away with this anymore, Potter. My father…'

'Your father has already been sent to Azkaban once!' Harry said sharply, his temper rising. 'He's nothing more than a criminal, Draco, and you know it.'

Draco sneered. 'Please, Potty, do not foul my name that way.'

'Whatever.' Harry suddenly found he didn't care what Malfoy said. Gripping Ginny a little tighter, he moved to steer her away.

'Typical Gryffindor,' Draco drawled. 'All talk, no substance. Should have known.'

Harry stiffened, and he felt Ginny's grip on his arm tighten.

'Don't listen to him,' she said quietly, but loud enough for Malfoy to hear. 'He's just trying to provoke you. Granted that's not a very smart move, but…'

'Unlike the rest of this pathetic school, I know Potty's just a fraud,' Draco hissed. 'And I could prove it, too. One day, I'll prove it.'

Suddenly Harry spun, moving so his face was inches from Draco's. 'You think I'm a fake?' he snarled, all his anger rising to the surface. 'I pray, Draco Malfoy, that I never have to prove you wrong the hard way.' And with that he spun and stalked off, doing a very good impersonation of Snape. Ginny glared at Draco and hurried after him.

Behind them, Draco smiled in satisfaction. 'One day, Potter,' he said to himself. 'One day…'

========

Alex and Cassie entered the Hall just in time to catch the exchange. Alex glanced around quickly and spotted Isabelle making a bee line for them, her face set.

'That arrogant, stupid jackass,' she muttered as she reached them. 'Please tell me the prank you're going to pull is on Malfoy.'

Alex grinned. 'Of course,' he said evilly, wrapping his arm around Isabelle's shoulders. 'Watch, my dear, watch and learn.'

An owl came swooping into the Hall, a note clamped in its beak. It dropped the parchment on Malfoy's head before shooting back outside again.

Malfoy opened the note arrogantly and read the contents. His eyes widened in surprise and panic, and he threw the note away, drawing his wand and burning it to ashes with a spell.

'Big mistake, Malfoy,' Cassie said gleefully. As they watched, the ashes formed two new notes, both of which leapt off the floor and hurled themselves at Malfoy. The Slytherin also burned both the new notes, which quickly resulted in four attacking him.

By now, several people near him had noticed Malfoy's increasing desperation as now eight bits of parchment were flying through the air attacking the blond Slytherin. Each time he burned a note, two more would replace it.

'Not too bright, is he?' Cassie giggled as the number increased to twelve. Malfoy was now starting to panic, yelling as the notes continued to attack him, flying into his face and hair. All around the Hall students were laughing at Malfoy's strange predicament. Soon enough the air around his head was swarming with parchment, and Malfoy dove under a table to try to get away. The notes followed him, however, and Malfoy leapt out from under the table and started sprinting around the Hall, trying various spells to stop the parchment from strangling him. By now the whole hall was in the throes of hysterical laughter. Even the Professors were laughing, although in McGonagall's case it was merely a less severe frown. Snape was clearly trying very hard not to look amused. What was even better was that not one single person tried to help, even Malfoy's little Death Eater Slytherins.

But the best part was the look on Harry's face. He was watching the blond running, screaming hysterically as a blizzard of parchment battered at him. Finally Harry cracked, breaking out into uncontrollable laughter as Malfoy tried desperately to protect himself from the killer notes. From across the Hall, Ginny caught their attention and mouthed, "thank you".

Alex and Cassie glanced at each other, sharing a smile. Mission accomplished.

__

A/N: Ah, I love pranking Malfoy. Can you imagine it? Attack of the killer post it notes…

Review Responses:

Sauron the Deceiver:_ Did someone mention Malfoy beatings? By the way, CONVICT COLONY? I take offence at that…true, that may be our past, but at the moment we're the most stable country in the world. Just as an aside, most of the rest of the world can't tell the difference between us anyway…and they have a point. Do you realise just how close NZ was to becoming our seventh state two years ago (don't lecture me, I know we have more states than that, but two of them are territories, so nya)? It was a hair's breadth, I assure you._

xMegs: _All will be revealed in good time…_

Melindaleo: _Oops? Hmm, I thought it was in OotP. Oh well, just assume they were maroon. ;)_

Harry: _The World Cup was a fluke, and everyone knows it. AUS has won it more times than anyone else (three, I believe – and we're the only country to win it back to back) and in the WC rematch, we whooped your pommy asses. What was the score again? Oh yes, 51-15! Muahahahahahaha! Erm…sorry, got a bit carried away there…_

sunflowerchild: _I am very sorry my friend, but you are delusional. India doesn't stand a chance…_

CreativeQuill: _Don't worry, the reporter was there for a very specific reason, which will be explained later. Not giving too much away, but this chapter should give you a few clues…and the question I'd be asking is, "how did the reporter get out of a sealed castle?" All I can say is…oops, I never thought of that. ;)_

Alima: _One's does one's best._

Saerry Snape: _I was looking at your site, and I had to ask. Why are you so mean to Atra? He's not that bad. **Thanks**. What the hell are you doing here? Get back to work on NM, you lazy bugger._

shrek: _hate to break it to you, but Adam Gillchrist has the highest batting average of any living player (about 65 or so). The record is, of course, held by the Don (99.95)._ _Add that to a bowling lineup of Lee, Warne, Gillespie, and the batting of Ponting, Bevan, Bichel, Lehmann, and Martyn…I know I wouldn't like to play them, and I'd imagine the other countries feel the same…oh, and for the record, Warne now officially has the highest number of wickets taken in a career. And he's not even that old._

Serpentia: _Sorry, but Shrub bashing is so much fun…and honestly, I don't think you could say anything derogatory about our PM that I haven't said a thousand times. The guy's a moron._

sunni07: _I said 10 was the HIGH. Add wind chill, and the fact that it's been raining CONSTANTLY, and you have one miserable climate. At least you can throw snow at people. Can't really do that with rain…and the bloody roads are always wet. Grr…_

oomahey: _So I was exaggerating with the numbers…it's still a record number of wins in a row. Let's hear it, go Aussie, go! ;)_

Lord Agamus: _…you HAVE to be American. And on the subject of economy…AUS has the most stable economy in the world right now. So there. Actually, chess is the sport of Kings, but who's counting?_


	34. Of Past And Present

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: To all those who wanted to know a little more about James' past: Read on!

It finally took the combined effort of Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick to stop the notes from attacking Malfoy. The Slytherin was looking a little wild around the eyes as McGonagall led him from the Hall, and his face was slashed to pieces with paper cuts.

Harry stood next to Ginny, her hand firmly gripped in his own, grinning from ear to ear. Nearby, Ron and Hermione stood in a half embrace, her head resting on his shoulder.

'I call them Post-It Notes,' a voice said from very close behind them. Harry turned his head to find a smirking Alex, with Cassie just behind him. 'You just send them to someone by owl post, and as soon as they read the note the charm activates.'

'Genius,' Ginny smiled at him, nodding almost imperceptibly to acknowledge that she knew they had done it to cheer Harry up.

'Worthy of Gred and Forge, that one,' Harry grinned, holding out his free hand. Mock gravely, Alex shook it.

'There you are,' Isabelle approached carrying a tray holding Butterbeers. She handed them out to each person, absently Vanishing the tray when she had finished.

'A toast!' Ron announced, holding his bottle high. 'To great pranks!'

'To a brilliant piece of magic,' Hermione added, raising her own bottle.

'To the new Troublemakers-in-chief,' Isabelle grinned.

'To the pair who could give my brothers a run for their money,' Ginny smiled, adding her bottle.

'To great friends,' Harry added quietly. Alex and Cassie raised their bottles and everyone clinked, the twins touched by Harry's addition. It was strange, really. They had only been at Hogwarts for two months, and yet it seemed like an eternity. They were now truly a part of the group.

'Well this is all well and good,' Cassie broke the silence that had descended over them, 'but this is one of my favourite songs, and I'm going to find Seamus.' She smirked at her brother and walked off.

'She has a point,' Alex admitted, throwing the now empty bottle over his shoulder, where it vanished before it could hit the floor. He extended his hand to Isabelle, who took it with a smile, and led her onto the dance floor.

'You know, that's an awfully good idea,' Harry commented to Ginny. She allowed him to lead her back onto the dance floor, a smile playing about her lips.

James watched the group toast, still under the cover of his invisibility spell. He noticed Ron and Hermione shoot each other a significant look and stealthily head for the exit. James chuckled quietly; teenagers were all the same.

His mind was still dwelling on the photo he had seen in Harry's dorm, and what it meant. He had known for some time that his children would be involved rather heavily in the Prophecy, but the fact that Harry knew as well was a little disturbing. It meant that he was coming more into his true power, and they weren't ready for that yet. It was far, _far_ too early.

James sighed heavily, taking a seat in an unobtrusive corner where no one was likely to try to sit on him. He watched Harry once more dancing with Ginny, watched him pull her closer as they danced to a slow song. That too was a part of the Prophecy; he could no more stop those two getting together than stop the tides. But again, it was happening too fast. They had expected to have at least another year to prepare. James sighed again, this time in frustration. Why was everything happening so damn quickly?

He thought back briefly to the incident earlier, with that Corner boy. That had been a really, _really_ stupid thing to do, on Michael's part. James doubted that even Malfoy would have the gumption to try anything with Ginny. It was downright dangerous, what with how protective Harry could be of her. Harry had been on the verge of throwing the moron _through_ the wall, he could tell. There had been a tightening around the eyes that while a normal person would miss, a trained Mind Mage could see easily. But Harry had controlled his anger, had exerted influence over that damnable Basilisk. He was getting better, no doubts there. But would it be enough?

Not for the first time, he thought back nine months to the previous Christmas, when a man calling himself Peter Pettigrew had approached him, back in Australia, about a job working for some Dark Lord. James knew exactly what the offer meant, and he also knew what it would mean to turn it down. He had no interest in joining the wizard who thought he could fill Grindelwald's shoes. He'd had his chance, and had failed. Joseph Milter was long dead, now he was James Milton, father of Alexander and Cassandra. As it always did, that train of thought brought up the "persuasion" technique Voldemort had used, in a last ditch effort to gain his allegiance.

James' face twisted into a grimace as he remembered coming home on Christmas Eve after a long day to find an odd skull-like symbol hovering above his house. He had hurried inside, and had found…

James pulled himself up sharply. _There is no point dwelling on the past_, he told himself sternly. _You are here now, and you can make a difference. Now stop worrying._

Even so, he found it very hard to shake the image of a pair of very beautiful, but very vacant blue eyes.

'Harry?'

Harry parted reluctantly from Ginny to find Neville standing nearby, fidgeting nervously. Just behind him stood Luna.

'What is it, Neville?' he asked, wondering what could make the round-faced boy so nervous.

'Could I…that is…would you let me…I mean…' Neville stammered, his face going very red. His eyes darted to Ginny, and suddenly Harry understood. He was too nervous to ask Ginny to dance.

'What do you think, Ginny?' he asked casually. 'Reckon you could dance with Neville for a bit? I'll dance with Luna.'

'Of course,' Ginny said warmly, taking Neville's hand. He gulped, glancing at Harry before allowing Ginny to lead him away.

'Guess that just leaves us,' Harry said to Luna, extending his hand. Luna smiled and took it. They danced in silence for a while, until Luna spoke.

'Haven't seen you very much lately,' she said.

'No, not really,' Harry agreed.

'I've been spending most of my time with Neville,' she informed him. 'I think he's going to ask me out soon.'

'That's good then,' Harry said a little uncertainly, thrown off balance by Luna's frank manner.

'Yes, it is,' she said dreamily, glancing at where Neville and Ginny were dancing. 'He's liked her for ages,' she said suddenly.

'Yeah, I know,' Harry wasn't sure what to make of that.

'I think he's over her now, though,' Luna added, and as Harry watched Neville laughed easily at something Ginny said. Suddenly it clicked, what Neville had been afraid of. He hadn't been nervous about asking Ginny to dance.

'He was afraid of me, wasn't he?' Harry asked, a heavy weight settling in his stomach.

Luna looked surprised. 'Of course,' she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'What did you think?'

Harry didn't answer.

Finally the dance ended, and Ginny and Neville came back, the former smiling wickedly and the later blushing brightly. Neville glanced at Harry, but quickly lowered his eyes and mumbled an apology.

'Neville,' Harry said firmly, and the boy raised his head slowly. 'You're my friend, I would never hurt you unless you gave me a very good reason to. You don't have to be afraid.'

Neville swallowed hard, nodding slightly.

'Sorry,' Harry said softly, placing one hand on Neville's shoulder. Their eyes caught, and Neville nodded firmly. 'Good man,' Harry released his hold on Neville's shoulder, turned and led Ginny away.

'Attention students!'

Harry looked away from Ginny reluctantly to see Professor Dumbledore standing at the front of the stage, his arms held up high and a smile on his face.

'In just a moment, we will be voting for the Best-Dressed Couple award! Would all students wanting to enter please come up to the front of the room now.'

Harry and Ginny parted and made their way off the dance floor and back to their seats. Harry spotted Alex and Isabelle moving towards Dumbledore and pointed them out to Ginny.

'Doesn't really surprise me, love,' she said quietly. Harry started slightly at the last word, his heart beating faster.

'What?' Ginny asked curiously, catching the strange look on his face.

'Nothing,' Harry assured her quickly. A warmth that had nothing to do with temperature spread through him, and he leaned back in his seat contentedly, wrapping his arm around Ginny and pulling her closer.

'Is that everyone?' Dumbledore asked, scanning the Hall quickly. 'All right then, I'll ask each couple to come up on stage, and you can cast your votes. A wand lit red is no, and green is yes. Everyone ready?' There was a murmur of consent. 'Then let us begin!'

As the first couple came on stage, Harry glanced at Ginny. 'Do you really want to watch this?'

'Not really,' Ginny said, turning her head so she could see him. 'What do you have in mind?'

Harry's smile was playful, and gave her all the information she needed. 'What a brilliant idea,' she breathed, reaching up and kissing him briefly. They stood and, hand in hand, left the Hall as quickly and unobtrusively as possible.

James watched Harry and Ginny slip out of the Hall, a pained grimace on his face. He was happy for them, truly he was, but at the same time he couldn't help but be jealous of them for what they were in the process of discovering and he had already lost.

'Brooding again, Dad?'

Cassie took a seat beside him. James smiled wryly and dropped the invisibility spell.

'I'm starting to regret showing you two how to do that,' he shook his head, then looked at her curiously. 'Shouldn't you be with your date?'

Cassie shrugged. 'Seamus is dancing with Lavender. I reckon she's better for him anyway.'

'Oh.' They lapsed into silence. Cassie leaned over to rest her head on her father's shoulder. His hand almost automatically began to stroke her hair.

'I've missed this,' Cassie said in a small voice.

'Missed what?' James asked.

'You, Dad,' she sat up straight again. 'We hardly ever see you since we came to Hogwarts. You're always busy doing something else.'

James sighed heavily. 'I know, and I'm sorry. But this is a war, Cass, you know that. We all have to make sacrifices.'

'I know,' she said pensively. 'I don't think Alex even notices, but he has Isabelle now.'

'Yes, I suppose that would make a difference,' James wrapped a comforting arm around his daughter's shoulders.

'I don't understand,' Cassie said quietly, snuggling closer into James' side. 'Sometimes he acts like nothing's changed, and sometimes he's completely different. I don't know what to do.'

'Have you tried talking to him?' James suggested gently.

'Yeah, but he just keeps avoiding it,' she sighed again. 'He won't talk to me about anything important anymore, it's just pranks and joking. He's not handling it very well.'

'Most wouldn't,' James said dryly.

'This is serious, Dad!' Cassie said impatiently. 'I think he needs help.'

'All right,' James agreed. 'I'll see if I can find someone to talk with him.'

'Thanks Dad,' Cassie kissed him on the cheek, stood and was gone.

James dropped his head into his hands, letting out a sigh. If for no other reason, he would make sure Voldemort died for the damage he had done to the twins. No one, not even Malfoy, should be forced to watch their mother raped, tortured and killed before them.

Oh yes, the Dark Lord would pay dearly.

A/N: Hope this chapter explained a few things…

Review Responses:

Saerry Snape: _Oh yes, now I remember. Sorry, temporary memory lapse there. Hey, I just noticed something. Did you realise that Amelie is taller that Atrata? 'Course you did, they're your muses, but still…ha ha…short ass…and anyway, Bryvend is better. C'mon, half demon, half angel, the best of both world, aye? ;)_

Elise: _Are you psychic? I'd just finished the first James bit when I read your review about more info on James…_

Cobalt45: _Actually, Chess is the _game_ of Kings. Sorry, got that mixed up._

Ginevra Potter: _Not quite. The notes split in two every time one was destroyed, not just doubled in number._

sunni07: _Mondo monkey frocks? WTF?_

Larna Mandrea: _I'd take the "you rock my world" comment as a compliment, except that you said the same thing about cup stacking (?!?). I've always hated how people write Ginny as a girl who gets pissed off at the slightest thing, and in almost every story she breaks up with Harry over some stupid little thing. Cheers for the nice comments!_

MsMissProngs: _Well, we never kicked British arse, per se, but we could if we had to, I suppose. We don't have the numbers, but we have one of the better equipped and trained armies in the world (just look at the casualty lists for Iraq. See any Aussies? No? Didn't think so – 'cept for that stupid reporter). I have no idea why I went on that tangent, but oh well._

shrek: _That's not the point. The point is, the Aussies are better…maybe not stats wise, but when was the last time you saw two batsmen get nearly four hundred runs between them in a OD'er (Lehmann and Stevie, last year – can't remember who against, though). And that's not even mentioning the World Cup…sorry, my friend, but the Aussies are definitely the strongest team in the world at the moment, and have been for quite some time._


	35. Post Ball Entertainment

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Cripes, 800 reviews. A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, you are the reason this story is still going. I remember panicking when I first posted, wondering if I'd even get one, much less 800. Cheers to you all!

Also, I recently found out that Ginny's birthday is, in fact, August 10th. Now go back to chapter 8 and read my A/N at the bottom. Keep in mind that I wrote that almost two months ago, and JK only released the date yesterday. Now was that a good guess, or was that a good guess? Okay, so I missed Ron's by three months, but still…

Okay, before we get started on this one, I have another story to recommend (this is turning into a habit…) called Harry Potter and the Power of Truth by CreativeQuill._ It's a witty story that turns the HP books completely on their heads by making them real, but in a much more believable way than JKR has managed. If you're looking for a good real-world HP story, check it out (it's on my favourite's list). Plus, she updates more often than I do! Now, on with the chapter._

Harry's return to consciousness the following morning was pleasantly slow. He stretched under his blankets, his mouth wide in a huge yawn. He froze when he felt someone shift in the bed beside him.

What the hell?

Slowly, cautiously, Harry turned his head. The scent of vanilla reached his nostrils, and suddenly he remembered where he was.

Ball…Room of Requirement…Ginny…

Suddenly wide awake, Harry turned fully to gaze down at Ginny's face. Her eyes were closed, and she looked strangely vulnerable in sleep. Under the blankets, her chest rose and fell with her regular breathing. Her freckles stood out starkly against her pale skin, and her hair was a mess.

Now that he was fully awake, Harry could remember what had happened. He and Ginny had slipped out of the Hall to find someplace private, and had eventually settled on the Room of Requirement when they had found Ron and Hermione in the snog-cupboard on the third floor. Harry had been somewhat surprised by the room they had been provided with. Instead of his usual lounge room style setting, like he had conjured for the meeting with Remus, they had ended up with a large Victorian style bedroom, complete with a king sized four-poster bed resplendent in Gryffindor colours. Ginny had squealed delightedly when she saw the opulence of the room, pulling Harry inside and slamming the door shut. Harry had quickly locked it, sliding home the large bolts that he had been sure to request.

Even though he knew nothing…serious had happened, and they were both fully clothed, Harry's cheeks still burned at the thought of waking up next to Ginny. He glanced down at her again, absently brushing a stray lock of hair aside. Her lips parted slightly and she let out a soft breath, snuggling closer to him. His hand slowly began to stroke her hair, idly playing with loose strands.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ginny's eyes fluttered open. She yawned, stretching as Harry had, and her gaze came to rest on him.

'Good morning,' Harry said gently, moving his hand to caress her cheek. Ginny sighed softly, reaching up to take his hand within her own.

'A very good one,' she agreed, sitting up. 'Not every day a girl can wake up in bed next to the Boy-Who-Lived, is it?' She laughed at the expression on his face.

'Just be glad Ron can't see us now,' Harry said wryly, leaning over and kissing her.

A massive bang made them leap apart. Harry, slightly overreacting, jumped too far. He fumbled for a moment, scrambling for a handhold, then toppled off the bed with a loud thump. Ginny burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggling.

'Harry! Ginny! Are you in there?' Ron's voice came to them through the thick wooden panels of the door.

'Oh hell,' Harry muttered, picking himself up off the floor and straightening his glasses.

'Relax,' Ginny said, grinning at him. 'Yes Ron, we're in here!' she yelled. 'But unless you want to see the disturbing sight of your only sister and your best friend naked, don't come in!'

There was a very loud silence on the other side of the door as both Harry and Ginny tried hard not to laugh.

'I'm going to kill you Harry!' Ron yelled suddenly. 'How could you do that to Ginny, she's just a baby! I thought you were supposed to be my friend!'

Deciding to end this quickly, Harry strode to the door and flung it open. Ron was standing there, his fisted clenched and his face very red. Hermione was not far away, trying to stifle her giggles with one hand.

'Nothing _happened_, Ron,' Harry emphasised quickly. 'Ginny's just riling you up.'

'Spoilsport,' Ginny appeared behind him, wrapping her arms around his stomach.

'See?' Harry indicated himself. 'Fully clothed and everything.' He looked at Ron curiously. 'Why did you assume that we'd…you know…' Harry blushed bright red at the thought of Ron thinking about him doing _anything_ like that. It was just too weird.

'Oh…umm…' Ron blushed even brighter than Harry did. 'Nothing.' Harry noticed his answer didn't quite seem to fit the question. 'Never mind,' Ron finally mumbled, then turned and fled down the corridor. Hermione smiled fleetingly at Harry and Ginny then followed.

'What was that all about?' Harry asked, shaking his head in puzzlement over his friend's peculiar behaviour.

Ginny was shaking with silent laughter. 'I have…a feeling…that Ron's edu…education…got furthered last night…'

It took a moment for Harry to figure out what she meant. 'Ron? And Hermione? At _Hogwarts_?' Harry's eyes opened wide. 'Surely you don't think…'

Ginny didn't answer, she was laughing too hard. Harry didn't quite know what to say. He decided the whole idea was just too disturbing, and firmly told his mind to shut up about it and stop conjuring mental images. He focused instead on the giggling red-head in front of him, and all other thoughts quickly evaporated.

'Why else would Ron so readily leap to that conclusion?' Ginny managed finally.

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Because you told him we were naked?'

'Well, maybe,' Ginny admitted. 'But it's still funny, don't you think?'

Harry didn't quite know what to think, actually; he was now extremely confused. He settled for saying, 'If you say so.'

Ginny's lips twisted into a smirk. 'You're impossible,' she shook her head, eyeing him playfully. 'So what did you have in mind to do today?'

'Oh, I don't know,' Harry smiled. 'I was thinking I might go for a fly. Care to join me?'

'I'd love to _fly_,' Ginny's smirk grew broader, and Harry didn't miss the emphasis she placed on the word fly. He wondered briefly just exactly what he was getting himself into.

'Well, let's go then,' Harry extended his arm to Ginny, and she looped her own through it. Together they headed for Gryffindor tower to get their brooms.

========

Alex scowled at his sister. The two were in the common room, which was devoid of any other students, and she had just finished telling him about her conversation the previous night with their father.

'It's none of your business, Cass,' he said bluntly.

'Of course it is, I'm your twin,' she said calmly. 'Your business is our business, same as mine. You know that.'

'Not this,' Alex shook his head stubbornly, refusing to meet her eyes.

'Alex,' Cassie said firmly, grabbing his chin and raising his head so she could look into his eyes. To counter, Alex simply closed them. He knew he was being childish, but for some reason he couldn't help it. 'Open your damn eyes,' Cassie commanded, and Alex almost winced. She seldom used that tone on him, and that more than anything persuaded him that she was deadly serious. He opened his eyes to find her face inches from his own, her eyes so close he could see every detail of her blue irises. As had happened so many times in the past, her eyes seemed to grow larger, and Alex felt the Transfer begin.

They weren't actually thoughts, more like ideas, concepts. Images, occasionally. Emotions.

It was this last that almost drove Alex to his knees. He felt a massive thump in his chest as a wave of anxiety flowed over him, coupled with a healthy dose of worry and not a little fear, all overlaid with a very strong feeling of helplessness, and all because of him. His sister had been concerned for his wellbeing since…he didn't even want to think about it. But he did feel tremendously guilty for putting Cassie through all this additional trauma. It was almost more than he could bear.

'I'm sorry,' Alex whispered, closing his eyes. The Transfer stopped immediately, but the aftermath still almost made Alex physically ill.

'Don't be sorry,' Cassie said, enfolding her twin in a hug. 'Just do something about it. Talk to someone. Please?'

Alex took a deep, shuddering breath, weighing up his options. On one hand, he didn't want to even think about what had happened. But on the other, he really didn't want to cause Cass any more damage. He couldn't.

'All right,' Alex said heavily, and his shoulders slumped forward. 'I'll talk to someone Dad finds. Okay?'

'Okay,' Cassie said firmly, squeezing him tighter. 'That's very Gryffindor of you,' she whispered into his ear.

Alex laughed hollowly. 'Yeah, well, I'm not feeling very Gryffindor-ish at the moment.'

'Harry's gone through the same sort of thing, you know,' Cassie said eventually.

'I know.'

'Do you know who he talked to about it?'

'No.'

'Ginny.'

Alex's head jerked up. 'What, you reckon I should talk about this to _Isabelle?_'

'I reckon you should talk to whoever you feel like talking to,' Cassie corrected.

Alex grunted non-commitally. Just then the Fat Lady swung open and Harry and Ginny entered the common room. Both were flushed, and both looked extremely happy.

'Just getting our brooms,' Harry said happily, glancing curiously at the two sitting in front of the fire. Cassie grinned at him, and Alex gave a half smile.

'Oh? Going for an early morning _fly?_' Cassie raised her eyebrows suggestively. Harry blushed even more, but Ginny just grinned.

'Yep,' she confirmed. 'Come on Harry, go get your Firebolt, I'll be back in a sec.'

'Okay Gin,' Harry almost sprinted up the stairs, seemingly full of energy.

'The Ball must have agreed with him,' Alex said mildly.

Cassie smirked. 'Actually, I have it on very good authority that he spent last night in the Room of Requirement with Ginny. I tried to get in this morning, and the door was _locked_.'

They shared a laugh, although sobered quickly. There was an almost uncomfortable silence as Alex's eyes followed Harry and Ginny as they met up in the common room again, both smiling, and headed outside hand in hand.

'You reckon he talked to Ginny?' Alex asked in a would-be casual voice. Cassie's gaze, however, told him she saw through it.

'He did,' she nodded. 'And she helped. Harry lost his Godfather, the closest thing he had to a parent, and talking to Ginny helped him enormously. You might like to think about that. I'm not saying you should talk to Ginny, specifically, but you definitely need to talk to someone.' She paused for a moment, the said quietly, 'I did.'

And with that she turned and quickly crossed the common room to the stairs leading to the girl's dormitories, leaving Alex to brood.

A/N: Sorry if this is a bit short, but it's now 5:00am, I've just spent two hours wrestling with my car, and now I'm going to bed. So nya.

Review Responses:

Saerry Snape: _Hey! Put that sword down! If you massacre all your muses, NM will never get finished. Well, you could probably do without Atra. Just leave Saerwy, Bryvend and Amelie alone. Okay, you can disembowel them a little bit, if you really want to. Yes, I do know I'm rambling, but it's now 5:30am so I have an excuse. I think I'm starting to like Amelie…more H/N! Yay! Sorry, far too much sugar for Jamesie…_

Heart of the Phoenix: _Well, since I'm an Aussie, definitely the swimming (go the Thorpedo! You lot don't stand a chance in the pool…). As for the rest, I really have no idea. Pity Cricket isn't an Olympic sport._

Elise: _Umm…no Sirius, sorry. Maybe next chapter. I have no idea really, depends on what my muse has to say. And knowing him, it could be absolutely anything._

Larna Mandrea: _To tell the truth, I really can't see Harry willingly entering the limelight like that. Why do I get the distinct feeling I'm going to regret the comment about Ginny?_

Melindaleo: _Probably not, no._

brilliant-author16: _There will be more r/hr coming, don't worry. Sixty chapters? More like 160, the way I'm going…_


	36. Fan Mail

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

****

Harry Potter: Boy-Who-Loved

Article by Michelle Murray

It seems that Harry Potter may finally have found true love. As this reporter witnessed last Saturday night at the Hogwarts Halloween Ball, Mister Potter is willing to go to extreme lengths to defend his lady-fair.

Ginevra Weasley, the youngest of seven children, is currently a fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her older brother Ronald Weasley has been a firm friend to Mister Potter since their first year, and according to inside sources Miss Weasley has been quite taken with the Boy-Who-Lived since their first meeting six years ago.

'Ginny's liked Harry for ages,' said a student who wished to remain anonymous. 'They've been going out now for a few months, I suppose. Harry seems really into her, as well.'

The couple is apparently common knowledge at Hogwarts, and have been since the start of the school year. It is also common knowledge that Harry's two best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, are also dating. Two years ago, during the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts, rumour had it that Mister Potter and Miss Granger were dating, but this was later found to be untrue.

'Harry and Hermione? That's ridiculous, she's like his sister,' said Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor sixth year. 'They're close, sure, but not like that. Besides, Ron would kill him if he tried anything.'

And it seems that Mister Potter is willing to kill anyone who 'tries anything' with Miss Weasley. Midway through the Ball, Harry attacked another student, who he claimed had been trying to take advantage of Miss Weasley. More details were not forthcoming, however, as this reporter was forced to leave by none other than Miss Weasley herself. It seems that protectiveness runs both ways.

'Well, it could have been worse,' Harry sighed, running his fingers through his hair, making it stick up even worse at the back. They were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast on Wednesday after the Ball, and a copy of _Witch Weekly _had just been delivered. There was a huge picture of Harry on the cover, alternating between scowling and trying to hide behind the edges of the photograph. A smaller picture of Ginny took up the top right corner, just under the masthead.

'Sorry Harry,' Dean apologised. 'But I figured that if I didn't give her something to publish, then she'd go to the Slytherins.'

Harry waved his apology off. 'It's okay,' he said distractedly, skimming through the article again. 'It's actually not too bad,' he admitted, wrapping his arm around Ginny and pulling her close.

'Much better than that evil Skeeter woman,' she agreed. 'At least she's not going on about how much of a mental case you are.'

'Yeah mate, that's downright kind compared to her,' Ron grinned.

'I still don't know what Dumbledore was thinking, letting that reporter in here,' Hermione muttered, rocking backwards and forwards slightly, deep in thought. 'I mean, this can't be good, can it? Now everyone knows about you two, and the Death Eaters could take advantage of it or something.'

'Voldemort already knew,' Harry shook his head. 'He possessed Ginny before, remember?'

'Oh,' Hermione's brow creased. 'I hadn't thought of that, I suppose.'

Suddenly Ginny tensed, her face going very pale. She clutched at Harry's arm, and he looked down at her in concern.

'What is it?' he asked, gently placing his fingertips on her forearm.

'Mum!' she managed, now staring at the ceiling where the Post Owls had just flown into the Great Hall. 'She reads the bloody magazine!'

'Oh hell,' Ron whispered, pointing. Harry followed his gaze and, with a sinking feeling, immediately recognised the distinct scarlet envelope of a Howler.

'Maybe it's for someone else?' he said hopefully, but the owl swooped directly at them and dropped the Howler in Ginny's eggs.

'Go!' Alex said sharply. 'Get out of here!'

Ginny didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed the envelope and sprinted out of the Hall, Harry hot on her heels.

'Hold on,' Harry grabbed her arm, just as the Howler began to smoke. 'I have a better idea.'

He mentally prodded the Basilisk, which almost seemed to uncurl within his mind. Suddenly the Entrance Hall vanished, and the Forbidden Forest replaced it.

Ginny dropped the envelope abruptly, and suddenly a massive wall of noise assaulted their ears, which Harry recognised immediately as the voice of Mrs. Weasley.

'GINEVRA WEASLEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? DATING HARRY FOR TWO WHOLE MONTHS AND NOT TELLING US ABOUT IT? HOW COULD YOU PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER THAT WAY? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US STRAIGHT AWAY, NOT HAVE US FIND OUT IN SOME TRASHY MAGAZINE! I'M VERY DISSAPOINTED WITH YOU, YOUNG LADY, I THOUGHT THAT YOU AT LEAST HAD SOME COMMON SENSE! HOW COULD YOU –'

Suddenly the voice was replaced by the much calmer tones of Mr. Weasley.

Ignore your mother, Ginny, she's just a little upset right now. We are both truly happy for you. Don't worry, she'll come around. But we do need to speak with you. Soon.

And with that, the Howler dissolved in a brilliant flash of fire.

Ginny shook her head ruefully. 'I knew we should have told her before,' she muttered.

'Don't worry,' Harry enfolded her in a hug. 'She'll be fine, like your father said.'

========

Hot on the trail of the Howler were a veritable flock of owls, all of which came swooping down to the Gryffindor table and looked very confused when they obviously couldn't find the recipients of their letters.

Ron groaned, then lifted his hand and waved. 'Down here,' he called, and the owls veered in his direction. 'Don't worry, we'll make sure they get them.'

One after another the owls dropped their letters and flew off, leaving a small mountain of parchment envelopes. Ron shared a look with Hermione; this was fourth year all over again.

'We'd better get started, I guess,' Ron said resignedly, picking up an envelope addressed in a neat hand to _Mister H. Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._ Quickly getting the idea, everyone else nearby grabbed a letter and started to read.

'This one's from a witch in London, says Harry's off his rocker and should go marry her,' Ron raised his eyebrows, then incinerated the letter with a quick flick of his wand.

'This one's from a guy who wants to go out with Ginny,' Alex shook his head. 'Bit thick, isn't he? I mean, the whole bloody article was about how she's taken, and it said how Harry's touchy about her. And what's a guy reading _Witch Weekly_ for anyway?'

'This one just wishes them both well, and a long lasting relationship,' Isabelle smiled faintly. 'Of course, there are tear marks all over the parchment, and the girl says she's only ten.'

'This one's from a bloke who reckons he works at the Quidditch shop in Diagon Alley, reckons he served Harry when he bought Ginny's broom,' Ron read another letter. 'Says he's happy for Harry and reckons Ginny's…' Ron trailed off, and his ears went bright red.

'He says Ginny's what, Ron?' Hermione asked absently, her eyes flicking through yet another letter. She already had a small pile of acceptable ones stacked neatly beside her, and a pile of ash where she'd burned those that were unacceptable.

'Never mind,' Ron muttered, quickly incinerating the note. Hermione looked up briefly, her lips twitching into a half smile, before she went back to work.

'Witch, says Harry's barmy…' Dean muttered, burning another letter.

'Another witch, wishing them well, blah blah blah…' Alex almost negligently tossed the parchment back onto the table.

'A wizard who reckons Harry's got good taste,' Neville smiled. 'I agree,' he added under his breath.

'Here's a good one,' Cassie announced, a smile tugging at her lips as she read. '_I read the article recently published in _Witch Weekly_, and I just have to congratulate you on everything you have achieved. I realise that it cannot be easy being the Boy-Who-Lived, and constantly living in fear of You-Know-Who, and for you to be able to find love in such a difficult environment is truly a testament to the human spirit. If anyone can save the wizarding – and Muggle – worlds, it will be you._'

'How very inspiring,' a cold drawl caused eight heads to whip around and glare at Malfoy, who stood just behind Neville looking smug. 'Reading Potty's fan mail for him? I hope he's going to pay you, I know Weasel could use the cash.'

'Don't,' Hermione said sharply when Ron immediately went for his wand. 'He's not worth it.'

'You don't learn very quickly, do you Ferret? You want to be thrown through another wall?'

Malfoy spun to find Harry right behind him, so close they were almost touching. Malfoy's hand twitched for his wand, but it stilled again almost before it had started moving.

'Go,' Harry said dismissively, and Malfoy turned on his heel and stalked back to the Slytherin table, muttering to himself under his breath.

'We'll have to employ you as our official Malfoy terrifier,' Alex quipped, although his eyes watched Harry shrewdly.

'I thought I already was,' Harry jested, dropping back into his seat.

'Where's Ginny?' Ron asked, picking up another letter.

'She went back to the common room, said she wanted some alone time,' Harry shrugged, then his head cocked to the side and he stared curiously at the pile of mail. 'Where did all that come from?'

'Your fans,' Cassie smirked, waving an envelope addressed to _Mister Harry J. Potter, Gryffindor, Hogwarts_. 'Why they had to specify that you were a Gryffindor and then not even write the whole school name, I'll never know.'

'Wonderful,' Harry groaned, crossing his arms on the table and dropping his head onto them. 'That's the last thing I need.'

'Don't worry, we'll sift them for you,' Ron said bracingly, burning yet another letter. 'Honestly, if one more witch writes and tells you to marry her, I'm going to start hexing people. Some of these proposals aren't even _legal_, never mind decent.'

Harry laughed, raising his head slightly to peer at his friend. 'Thanks,' he said finally.

'We'll all help, won't we guys?' Neville asked. There was a murmur of assent.

'Oh good, my own personal Post Office,' Harry joked. Ron threw a bit of bacon at him.

'Ron!' Hermione looked up sharply. 'You're a Prefect, set an example!'

'No one was watching,' Ron said dismissively. 'Besides, more important what Harry does, isn't it? He's the one everyone looks up to, not me. I'm just a sidekick.'

'Thanks, Ron,' Harry said flatly.

'S'alright, you can pay me later,' Ron grinned. Harry flicked his wand at the bacon, and it soared back and hit Ron on the nose.

'Hey!' Ron was stopped from retaliating when Snape seemed to appear behind his left shoulder.

'Not food fighting, are we Potter?' Snape asked silkily, his foot nudging the bit of bacon which had dropped on the floor. 'In that case, twenty poi…'

'It was me, Professor,' Neville said quickly, a dull flush creeping up his cheeks. 'I was practicing Banishing Charms, and I accidentally hit the bacon.'

'Idiot boy,' Snape glared at Neville. 'Ten points from Gryffindor. Spells should not be practiced at the breakfast table.' Snape stalked off again, pausing to take points from two Hufflepuff girls for giggling too loudly.

'That bloody slimy git,' Ron muttered darkly, glaring at the back of Snape's head. 'He's just looking for an excuse to take points, now that you don't have Potions with him.'

'Thanks, Neville,' Harry placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

'Can't have you losing too many points,' Neville said quietly. 'You're the head of the DA, but I'm nobody.'

'Hey!' Harry looked into Neville's eyes. 'You're not nobody, you are Mister Neville Longbottom, and I know you can do that name proud.'

Neville's eyes seemed to cloud, and he took a deep breath. Finally he nodded, and Harry squeezed his shoulder.

'Neville,' Harry said in a low voice, 'there are very few people I would trust enough to guard my back in a fight. You are one of those people. Do you hear me? You are not useless, not by a long shot. Don't ever let Snape convince you of that.'

Finally Neville's head came up, and he met Harry's eyes. After what seemed like an eternity Neville nodded decisively, and Harry saw a brief flash of the Neville Longbottom that was a Gryffindor to the core. 'I'm with you, Harry,' he said, his voice quiet but strong. 'I've got your back.'

He glanced around the table, as if daring anyone to contradict him, but was met only with encouraging smiles. He looked back at Harry, who just squeezed his shoulder again before releasing him. 'I'm going to find Luna,' he mumbled, rising quickly and hurrying off.

'That was a very nice thing to do, Harry,' Hermione said, reaching across the table to take his hand.

'It's just the truth,' Harry shrugged.

'Yeah, but most people wouldn't have actually said it,' Ron chipped in. 'And you reckon you're not a leader? Who d'you think you're fooling, exactly?'

Harry was very tempted to flick more bacon at Ron.

A/N: Another massive case of writers block on this one. Sorry folks, but my Muse is obviously feeling lazy at the moment. I'll try to update more often, but I don't know if I can do every day, like I have in the past. We'll see.

Review Responses:

Saerry Snape: _…I have no idea what to say. I just checked your favourites list (which I do fairly regularly, I might add) and found my crappy little fic at the top of the list. You really have NO idea what this means to me. Hold on, I'm just going to nip out the back and scream like a lunatic for a while. ;) Don't kill your muses, they're too good…alright, even Atra, though he is an annoying little short ass…_

gpotter: _For Merlin's sake, will you please stop it with the Orlando comments? You're going to make me hate the pretty bugger, before long…and anyway, Keira Knightley is much more interesting…;p_

Mistress-Genari: _That's okay, I didn't either. Blame my Muse, he's a total nut case._

athenakitty: _Someone's jumping to conclusions, I never said anything HAPPENED…(whistles innocently). As to the car problems, all I can say is that she's a temperamental biatch (definitely female, oh yes)._

Kaylee-Smith: _Nope, never got the next bit. Can you send it again? I have Chapter one finished, but I want to look at Chapter two and we can decide whether to fuse them or not._

Whimsical Firefly: _The simple answer as to why Alex and Cassie are still alive and well is this: James arrived home. Trust me, a pissed off James is NOT something you'd want to meet in a dark alley. Possibly it would result in not only you being melted into a small puddle of goo, but also the wholesale destruction of anything breakable in the area…windows, wall, houses, the city said alley is in, that sort of thing._

Melindaleo: _Gred and Forge? What an intriguing idea…_

Larna Mandrea:_ Don't get me wrong, I love driving. But my car is being…difficult, at the moment. She's not a happy camper, I'm telling you._


	37. Developments

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: As always, please review. Reviews feed my muse, and make him work harder. Lazy git…

The fan mail kept coming for the next week or so, but after a while it slowed to a trickle. Ron, Hermione, Alex, Cassie, Isabelle and any other Gryffindor's present dutifully went through every letter, only saving the better ones for Harry and Ginny to read. They were both immensely grateful for the help, as over the first few days there were literally hundreds of owls swarming over the Gryffindor table at breakfast. The 'Postal crew' was also very careful to destroy the large amounts of hate mail directed at Ginny, for taking Harry 'off the market'.

Harry started Quidditch practices every second night in preparation for the first match of the season, which was the following weekend. Malfoy had taken to swaggering through the Halls wearing his team captain badge and loudly announcing his intentions to have the Quidditch Cup in Snape's office by the end of the year. Harry pointedly ignored him, although the Slytherin's loud mouthed bragging did earn him a couple of nasty hexes from the Milton twins when his back was turned, which in turn earned them both a detention with Snape when he caught them. Alex said later that it was worth the time they spent scrubbing some unidentifiable potion from Snape's classroom floor, however; when Malfoy was finally let out of the hospital wing, he still had a nose twice the size as usual, and his hair was vaguely green and lumpy, reminiscent of seaweed.

Ginny had quickly recovered from the Howler, stating that her mother was just displaying a bout of Weasley temper and that she would get over it. 'She'll be happy for us, trust me,' she told Harry the next day at dinner, taking his hand and squeezing it. 'It's my fault for not telling her straight away, that's what she'll be mad about.' Harry, who had been trying hard to understand what Mrs. Weasley had said, could only nod.

She was proved right when, two days later, Errol crash landed spectacularly onto the Gryffindor table bearing a letter from Mrs. Weasley, telling Ginny she was sorry for her outburst and she was quite alright with her dating Harry, so long as they took proper precautions and informed her of any developments. Harry and Ginny exchanged a wry smile at that; there wasn't really much more they could do that hadn't already been done, and Harry was quite sure he didn't want to know just exactly what Mrs. Weasley meant by 'developments'.

Harry had been concerned about their brief trip to the Forbidden Forest, but after checking a map of the school he had discovered that they had remained well within the outer boundaries of the wards, and Ginny should be safe. He supposed that, strange as it may sound, his Basilisk familiar was concerned for her safety as well. It was somehow a comforting thought.

The next week flew by, and Harry found himself filled with a mix of apprehension and dread as the first Quidditch match which he would captain came ever closer. He was beginning to understand Oliver Wood's constant obsession with Quidditch as he spent more and more time closeted with various team members, devising strategies and counter strategies. Finally even Ron, who could normally talk about Quidditch until blue in the face, had had enough, and firmly told Harry to relax and stop worrying.

'I'm still not sure about that last play,' Harry fretted late one night in the common room, grabbing a parchment from the stack in front of him. 'I don't know, the defense seems too weak here. Hi Gin,' he added as he felt her come up to stand behind his couch.

'Its only Malfoy,' Ginny said soothingly, rubbing Harry's tense shoulders. They, Ron and Hermione were the only one's still up.

'I'm sure you'll do just fine,' Hermione agreed, lifting her head slightly off Ron's shoulder to see him better. Ron made a small noise of protest and Hermione lay back down immediately. Ron's fingers entwined themselves into her hair, and he smiled briefly at Harry.

'Yes, well that's all well and good for you, you're not captain,' Harry mumbled, sinking further back into the lounge and dropping the parchment back onto the pile. Ginny was really _very_ talented with her fingers, he could quite literally feel the tension draining out of him as she gently massaged his neck and shoulders. 'Maybe I should just look at that last one again,' he murmured, but made no effort to reach for the sheet of parchment.

'Quit worrying, mate,' Ron advised, nodding decisively. 'We've got the best team in the school, we're going to win. Don't worry about it. I'm not letting that greasy git take the Cup away from McGonagall.'

Harry chuckled, and pushed the parchment sheets covered in Quidditch strategies away from him with his foot. 'You're right,' he admitted. 'Besides, I suppose it matters more what happens on the pitch than what we plan here, anyway.'

'Exactly,' Ron nodded again. 'The best laid plans can come to naught on the field when the opposing force surprises you,' he quoted.

'Where on earth did you learn that, Ron?' Hermione asked curiously. Harry was amused to see Ron's ears going pink.

'Well, it's not like I never read,' Ron said defensively. 'One of my chess books at home says that's the first rule of strategy.'

Harry hid a grin with one hand as Hermione smiled up at Ron and he went even pinker. 'That's really rather profound, don't you think Harry?'

'Sure,' Harry said, struggling not to laugh at the look of pride that flitted across Ron's face.

Ginny came around the lounge and took a seat next to him, burrowing into his arms and letting out a contented sigh. Harry smiled softly down at her, brushing his thumb along the line of her jaw.

A noise from the portrait hole made them all crane their heads to see who was entering. As far as they knew, every Gryffindor was already accounted for. There was a marked drop in tension when James climbed through the entrance, crossing the room to the fire in a few long strides.

'We need to talk,' he announced, dropping onto the free couch. He raised his hand, twisted it in a peculiar gesture, and seemed to mutter something. A moment later Alex and Cassie descended from their respective dorms, rubbing sleep from their eyes and wearing pajamas.

'You rang?' Cassie asked dryly as they joined their father on the couch.

'Yes, I have to talk to you all,' James glanced around the room as if looking for hidden listeners. 'Dumbledore doesn't approve,' he said suddenly, making Harry sit up as straight as he could under Ginny's weight and stare at the Defense Professor intently, all thoughts of Quidditch forgotten.

'What's going on?' Isabelle came down the girl's stairs, fully dressed and holding her wand. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the gathering before the fire.

'You should hear this too,' James motioned for her to sit. 'You're involved as deeply as the rest of us.' Looking a little startled, Isabelle obediently took a seat next to Alex.

'Now,' James said quietly. 'There's still a lot that the Order has decided you don't need to know, and I disagree, so I'm going to tell you myself and there isn't shit they can do to stop me.'

'Dad!' Cassie smacked him lightly on the shoulder. 'Language!'

'But first thing's first,' James ignored his daughter, and raised his hand again. He flicked his wrist, and Tonks appeared suddenly, standing off to one side of the fireplace. Her invisibility cloak pooled about her feet as she shot a resigned look at James.

'You're really going through with this, aren't you?' she asked, sitting on the armrest of Ron and Hermione's lounge.

'Absolutely,' James said grimly. 'This isn't right, they have a right to know.'

Tonks sighed. 'I know,' was all she said, before turning to Harry. 'I have a confession to make,' she said, looking straight into his eyes. 'On Dumbledore's orders, I've been following you since the start of school. 'I'm very sorry, but I was forbidden to tell you.'

'I know,' Harry shrugged.

Everyone stared at him.

'What?' he demanded, glancing at James, who was fighting not to smile. 'Of course I knew you were there, Zith could smell you. I just didn't say anything, that's all.'

James stared at him for a long minute, then suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone else seemed to be in varying states of shock, disbelief, or amusement. Hermione's expression was dark, and she suddenly shot to her feet.

'How could he?' she demanded, stilling James' laughter instantly. 'How could he do this to Harry? _Again?_' She began to pace angrily, waving her arms in the air as if to emphasise her point. 'I mean, honestly, he didn't tell us things last year and look what happened! We never would have gone to the Department of Mysteries if Professor Dumbledore had just been honest in the first place! We were nearly _killed_ last year, and he's still keeping things from us! It's just not fair, it's –'

'Hermione!' James shouted over her rant. 'Chill, okay?' Hermione stopped pacing and stared at him, her mouth working furiously. 'Before you yell at me, can you at least let me finish?'

Hermione seemed to think for a moment. 'Fine,' she said shortly, dropping back into her seat next to Ron, who was looking just as angry as she was.

'As I was saying, Tonks was set to follow you, and protect you, in case Voldemort tried anything underhanded.' James smiled slightly. 'She was really very put out at you when you transported to the forest and she couldn't follow.'

Tonks stuck her tongue out at him.

'Charming,' James murmured, then cracked a full smile. Tonks grinned back. The pair smiled at each other until Harry cleared his throat loudly.

'Next week, there are going to be some new measures put into place to protect Hogwarts from direct attack,' James continued as if he had never stopped talking, looking perfectly calm. His eyes strayed to Ginny. 'Tell me, when was the last time you saw your brother Charlie?'

'When we went to St. Mungo's just before term started,' Ginny said, thinking the question odd since James had been there at the time.

But a horrible suspicion began to creep into Harry's mind. 'Please tell me he's not going to do what I think he is,' Harry almost begged.

James nodded, a smug expression on his face. 'Come next Tuesday, Hogwarts will be the official home of one Norwegian Ridgeback.'

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A Dragon?!? That's Dumbledore's brilliant idea to protect the school? A bloody Norwegian Ridgeback…hang on…

'The Dragon doesn't have a name, does it?' Ron asked slowly, his thoughts obviously mirroring Harry's own.

'Oh yes,' James's smile widened. 'His name is Norbert.'

'Oh brilliant,' Ron muttered, 'after everything we did to get rid of him, the sodding thing's coming back.'

'Am I missing something here?' Isabelle asked, one eyebrow raised.

'Our first year,' Harry said shortly. 'Mine and Hermione's and Ron's. Hagrid got hold of a dragon's egg from a dodgy bloke down at the pub, and it hatched a few weeks later. He called it Norbert. We managed to get it out of Hogwarts by giving it to Charlie – he breeds them in Romania.'

Isabelle's eyes widened slightly, and her eyebrow rose even more. 'Are there any rumours about you three that _aren't_ true?'

'Yeah,' Harry said, 'the one about me and Hermione dating. Oh, and the one about me being a delusional delinquent. Other than that, they're actually pretty accurate.'

Isabelle looked at him shrewdly for a moment, then dropped her eyes and sighed. 'What the bloody hell have I got myself into?'

'Look, Harry, I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you,' Tonks said, catching his eyes. There was a pleading look on her face. 'I wanted to, I swear, but I couldn't go against the Order.'

'I'm going to ask you a question,' Harry said suddenly, his eyes locked onto Tonks'. 'This goes for you all,' he added, but his eyes never left Tonks' face. 'If Dumbledore gave you an order, and I gave you a contradictory one, which would you follow?'

Tonks winced visibly, but held Harry's gaze. She knew the question was a double edged sword; it was directly questioning her loyalties.

'No question, mate,' Ron leaned over and touched Harry's shoulder briefly. 'You don't even have to ask.' Hermione nodded her agreement, and Ginny squeezed his hand tightly, her face unreadable.

'We're with you, Harry,' Alex said after a moment's silence, and Cassie nodded to confirm. Isabelle sighed and nodded as well.

'James?' Harry asked, his eyes still on Tonks' face, watching her expression become trapped as everyone agreed with Harry.

James thought a moment. 'I honestly can't tell you, Harry,' he said finally. 'I'd follow my instincts, just as you would.'

'Fair enough.' Harry's eyes bored into Tonks. 'Well?'

Tonks squirmed a bit, then sighed heavily and straightened. 'Harry, it's not that simple. I have a commitment to the Order that is not as simple as following orders. Besides, Dumbledore –'

'Has made mistakes before,' Harry said flatly.

Tonks winced, and caught Harry's eyes again. 'Honestly? I don't know, Harry. I really don't.'

'You might want to decide,' Harry said quietly, gently disengaging himself from Ginny, kissing the top of her head and standing. 'I can't afford to take chances.' Without a backwards glance, he climbed the dormitory stairs and disappeared.

'It seems young Harry is growing up,' James observed, glancing at Tonks.

'You know I have to report this to Dumbledore,' she said, her expression oddly pleading.

'It's your choice,' James said quietly, standing and walking over to her. She stood as well as he approached, and to the surprise of the students present she fell into his arms. They had both apparently forgotten they had an audience.

'I don't know what to do,' Tonks whispered, burying her face in James' robes.

James' expression was unreadable as he held the Metamorphmagus close. His blue eyes were unnaturally bright, seeming almost to glow in the flickering light from the fire.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, both trying to comprehend just exactly what was happening.

On the other side of the fireplace, Alex and Cassie shared a similar look. Isabelle just stared into the fire, her Slytherin honed mind already working towards the answer behind this strange turn of events, and Harry's odd question. Something was coming, every instinct screamed at her that something was terribly wrong, and she was determined to be prepared for whatever it was.

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A/N: I hope this chapter answered some questions, and raised a few hundred more? Good, that was the whole point. My work here is done. The next one might be awhile, it's going to be a whopper, I reckon about three times the size of this one, maybe. If you're all good.

Review Responses:

gpotter: _Oh believe me, I hate the pretty bugger. And wtf does every female on the planet apparently have again Keira Knightley? Honestly…_

Saerry Snape: _What do you mean, popular following? More like cult.Oh yes, my own muse somehow escaped from the cupboard where I had him locked up. I blame Atra, for no reason other than he's a short ass. **Actually, I got out on my own.** Whatever. This is Milamber, by the way. **Hi! **Oh shut up. Go ahead and maim Atra, if you really want to. But don't do anything to Saerwy, at least not that can be traced back to me. I'd really like to be alive in a few days time. **I'd protect you.** Yeah, right. Against a pissed off she-wolf with a scythe. Nice try. **Good point…**_

Melindaleo: _Oh no, don't say that, I'll never be able to shut him up. **Yay! I did good!** Bloody hell, what did I do to deserve this?_

pyro-briar: _What mistakes? Could you tell me please, I couldn't find any, but then I wrote them, so I'll probably miss them._

Heart Of The Phoenix: _A very good point and rectified in this chapter. Cheers!_

James And Lily 4eva: _Like I said, she was just over-reacting. She didn't really mean it that way._

Phoenix of the Elements: _All shall be explained in the next chapter or two._

texasjeanette: _Another good point, also rectified in this chapter._

Riina: _I can't threaten her with the junkyard (or the wreckers as they're called here), because she knows I'd never go through with it. Grr…_

Rednal29: _Trust me, Milamber is a complete nutter. And he's a lazy bugger, too. **Am not! **Shut it, you._

harryptaxd204: _They're temperamental, willful, vain, bitchy, and not a little bit concerned about anything but themselves. Believe me, they're female ;) Not that all females are like that, of course…(coughs nervously)_


	38. Secret Order Business

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

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A/N: No, I'm not dead, I just wish I was. ;) Actually I've been sick all bloody week, so I haven't been able to get much done. Rest assured that the next chapter will be out soon. This one isn't quite as big as promised, but it is bigger than normal. Ten pages isn't bad, really.

Oh yeah, this chapter will make slightly more sense if you read All Dreams Must End_, the companion piece I wrote. It's also posted here, and it gives a little insight into James' past, and how he ended up at Hogwarts. I'll warn you now, though, it's a wee bit violent._

Reviewer Challenge: Full points to anyone who can work out exactly where ADME_ is set. Most of the clues are in the first couple of paragraphs. Go on, you can do it…and yes, it is a real place._

Professor James Milton stalked the deserted halls of Hogwarts, his steps sure and unfaltering. It was time to end this. Albus had gone entirely too far, and was on the verge of making the same mistake that had almost cost six students their lives only eight months ago. James wouldn't stand for it.

The Order never learned. Everything that they did wrong last time, they were doing wrong this time. And last time, if Harry hadn't come along, they would have lost the war. The similarities between the two situations almost made James laugh out loud.

He had been involved in the last war with Voldemort, fighting for both sides, whichever paid highest. More and more towards the end of the war he had been hired by Voldemort to attack Order members, and it was usually insultingly easy. The Order had been losing hard, and if they weren't careful history would repeat itself.

Once again it all came down to Harry. _And Ginny_, a spiteful little voice in the back of his mind pointed out.

He wanted to scream in frustration. All he had wanted was to be left alone. He'd had it with war; he had a beautiful wife and two wonderful children. And then Lord bloody Voldemort had come along again.

James clenched his fists reflexively, wanting very badly to lash out at something. But he needed to stay calm. He needed to focus.

'Calm down, James,' he said to himself as he walked, breathing deeply. 'You had to get involved somehow, and this is what the Universe decided to throw at you. If this is what was meant to happen, then so be it.' The words brought him little comfort, however. He sighed and shook his head. Nothing could be gained from going over old ground again.

He slowed as he approached the classroom where he knew they were meeting. He couldn't hear anything; he hadn't expected too, Moody was far too paranoid to leave the room un-warded. With a feather soft touch, James allowed his awareness to brush along the outside of the wards, almost caressing them, searching their length for a weakness. He found a hairline fracture in the magic, and, using his mind like invisible fingers, he prised it apart.

There was a massive detonation, and the wall glowed brilliant blue. As suddenly as it had appeared the glow vanished, and the door sprang open.

James entered the room to find five sets of eyes looking at him incredulously. Mad-Eye Moody's normal eye was narrowed, and his magical eye was focused on the wall, obviously checking the corridor outside for any other intruders.

'You need to work on your wards, Alastor,' James said nonchalantly, taking the last remaining seat at the table. He caught Tonks' eyes briefly and smiled slightly. She returned the smile and winked.

'What is the meaning of this, James?' Dumbledore asked calmly. Although his voice was steady, James could hear the underlying anger.

'Yeah, what the hell do you want, Milton?' Moody growled.

'Language, Moody,' James said lightly. 'I'm here to point out a few home truths to you people.'

'And what may those be?' Lupin asked, his eyes bright.

'Harry,' James said flatly. 'No offence, Albus, but you're making exactly the same mistake as you made last year, and we all know where that got us.'

'Need I remind you, Milton, that this meeting is only open to members of the Order?'

James turned to regard Snape, who was sitting as far from the others as possible, in a corner shrouded in shadow. 'And need I remind you, Snape, that I refused membership for a very good reason.'

'Oh yes,' Snape sneered, his black eyes glittering in the flickering torchlight. 'Don't worry, I'm quite sure we haven't forgotten.'

'That will do, Severus,' Dumbledore commanded, his piercing eyes on James. James made no effort to block the feather light touch of Legillimency coming from the old man, instead using a tactic he knew to infuriate any mind readers: he counted sheep.

After a moment Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling. 'You always were a most stimulating opponent, James.'

'One does one's best,' James said blandly.

'So what exactly did you come barging in here for?' Lupin asked.

'Like I said, I have to point out a few home truths,' James stood and began to pace. 'I know you've all been keeping an eye on Harry,' he cast a fleeting look at Tonks, who smiled a bit guiltily, 'but I don't think that's enough. You have to tell him what's really going on, and not just that bollocks you were feeding him over summer, I mean the truth.'

'Luckily what you think doesn't matter for much,' Snape said cuttingly.

'I agree with him,' Tonks said quietly, and every eye turned to her. 'Last night Harry asked me whose orders I would take on the battlefield, if Albus and Harry gave me contradictory ones. I honestly couldn't decide.'

'Nymph,' James said warningly, but Tonks waved him away.

'I've been watching him in his Advanced Defense classes,' she went on, clasping her hands together nervously. 'Almost every student there is personally loyal to Harry. If he needs something done, half the room volunteers to do it for him. And that's not including his close friends. They'll follow him into Hell itself if he decided he's going.'

'We are well aware of Mister Weasley and Miss Granger's mental instabilities where Harry is concerned,' Snape sneered.

'Not just them,' James shook his head. 'Lestrange and my kids would follow him anywhere, too. So would Longbottom and Lovegood. And good luck getting Miss Weasley away from him.' He smiled, but the thought was bitter. Harry really had no idea how lucky he was.

'As well as the DA, which is most of the school Prefects,' Tonks added.

'He's got a bloody private army,' Moody muttered, shaking his head.

'I see your point,' Dumbledore said after a moment, stroking his long beard. 'What do you suggest we do about it?'

'Conduct them into the Order,' James said firmly. 'Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Alex, Cassie, Isabelle. Let them all see what's really happening.'

'Impossible,' Dumbledore shook his head. 'The Order consists of only overage witches and wizards. We cannot induct school children into its ranks.'

James raised one eyebrow. 'Albus, you know Lord Moldywart is going to attack Hogwarts soon, or you wouldn't be bringing in that bloody dragon. Do you really think you could keep any of them out of the fight?'

'Absolutely not,' Lupin said with a smile. 'Harry has far too much of his father in him to hide away inside the castle. He'd think less of himself if he wasn't helping.'

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a long moment, and when they opened again all the sparkle had gone out of them. 'Very well,' he said heavily. 'I will consider your words and decide after this weekend's Quidditch match.'

James nodded. 'After the match. They've all been looking forward to it for so long, don't spoil it for them. But Monday afternoon, I want you to speak to Harry. If you don't, we may be in trouble later on.' He looked around the room, smiling slightly again when he caught Tonks' eyes. She gave him a fleeting thumbs up and returned the smile.

'Now, I'll leave you all to your secret Order business,' James smirked, then turned to walk out the door.

'Milton!'

'What?' James turned back to Moody, who was looking at him with something akin to respect.

'Good job getting through those wards,' he said grudgingly. James grinned back, performed a mocking half bow, and left the room.

Harry did not see Tonks again that week, not even in his Advanced Defense classes where she usually helped. He felt bad for springing such a loaded question on her, but it had to be done. Thankfully, none of his friends had questioned him over it, although Isabelle kept shooting him furtive looks when she thought he wasn't watching.

Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure himself why he had asked that question. All he knew was that something big was coming, he could feel it. He remembered Isabelle's words from weeks ago, when she had said Malfoy knew when Voldemort would attack Hogwarts, and an uncomfortable weight settled in his stomach.

James too was acting peculiarly. Frequently he would watch Harry and Ginny together with a deep sadness in his eyes, and Harry would have the uncomfortable feeling that there was something he didn't know. He tried asking the twins what was wrong with their father, but they both got very tight lipped and refused to speak. And so Harry had to content himself to waiting.

Saturday came quickly, and with it the first Quidditch match of the year. The Gryffindors assembled in their change rooms after a meager breakfast, and after everyone had changed into their scarlet robes, they all sat and looked at Harry expectantly.

'None of you ever had the pleasure of playing on this team with Oliver Wood,' Harry started with a smile. 'Those of you who didn't know him, let's just say he was a bit of a Quidditch fanatic. But he was really good at these inspirational things. I think you've all gathered that I'm not.' The team laughed, and a lot of unnoticed tension drained away. 'I know you're all good, so there isn't really much to say. Play a good, clean game, and don't let the Slytherins rile you up, especially Malfoy. Go out there, put in your best effort, and we can't lose.'

'I thought you weren't any good at this,' Alex cracked, and everyone laughed again.

'You're doing fine, Harry,' Greg Redfield assured him.

Harry blushed slightly at the compliments. 'Just go out there and win,' he finished.

'Oh, don't worry, we will,' Ginny smiled. 'We'll flatten them, won't we guys?'

'Abso-bloody-lutely,' Cassie grinned.

'_And welcome all to the first Quidditch match of the year!_'

Harry gripped his Firebolt tightly as the very familiar magically enhanced voice rang throughout the Quidditch stadium. This was it; all the preparation was done. All that remained was to win.

'Come on,' Harry said, his voice strained. The team stood and filed towards the exit. Ginny caught Harry's eyes as she passed, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.

'You'll be fine,' she whispered.

'_Playing today are archrivals Gryffindor and Slytherin!_' A massive cheer almost knocked Harry over backwards as he led the team to the change room exit and mounted the Firebolt.

'_Introducing the Slytherins! Zabini, Warrington, Peuce, Findlay, Crabbe, Goyle, and…Malfoy!_'

The Slytherins cheers were almost drowned out by the booing from the rest of the crowd. Harry steeled himself, knowing what was coming next. _I can do this. _He tightened his grip on the handle of his broom and waited. It was almost as bad as the wait before his first ever match.

'_And here come the Gryffindors! Weasley, Weasley, Chang, Redfield, Milton, Milton, and…Potter!_'

The scarlet clad Gryffindors tore out of the change rooms and onto the pitch. Harry was gratified to see most of the crowd wearing scarlet rosettes and waving flags with the Gryffindor lion on them; obviously the Slytherins weren't too popular with the other houses. From somewhere among the stands Harry could vaguely hear Luna's ridiculous Lion hat roaring.

The two teams came to rest in the middle of the pitch, where Madam Hooch was waiting with the crate that housed the four balls. Harry and Malfoy eyed each other warily, and Harry was suddenly glad that Zith was once again looking after his wand.

'Captains, shake hands,' Madam Hooch ordered. Reluctantly Harry extended his hand, and Malfoy clasped it and let go quickly, wiping his hands on his robes with a look of disgust. An irrational memory arose of Deladus Diggle shaking his hand repeatedly in the Leaky Cauldron, so excited he looked ready to burst, and Harry had to fight down a laugh.

'Mount your brooms,' Hooch said, flipping the latches on the crate. She removed the Quaffle, ducking out of the way as the Bludgers rocketed skywards. Harry saw a brief flash of gold before the Snitch vanished.

'Go!' Madam Hooch said, tossing the Quaffle straight up. Fourteen brooms rose skyward, Harry faster and higher than the rest. He reached a comfortable altitude and leveled off, seeing Malfoy doing the same some distance away.

'_And the Quaffle is taken early by Weasley, who passes to Redfield, back to Weasley…and look at that girl fly! She's really putting that broom through its paces! Rumour has it that the Lightningbolt was bought for her a few months back by her boyfriend, Harry Potter. Sounds appropriate, all things considered!_'

'JORDAN!'

Harry almost laughed; the Weasley twins had come up to Hogwarts to watch the match, and Lee Jordan had come with them. McGonagall had almost automatically given him the magical microphone when he had walked into the stadium, and not bothered to take it back when she realised her error.

'_Sorry Professor, won't happen again! The Quaffle now in the capable hands of Melinda Chang, little sister of Seeker Cho Chang of Ravenclaw…back to Greg Redfield, another new addition to the team this year…and a perfect reverse pass straight past Findlay puts it back to Weasley! Potter really has done an excellent job with this year's team!_'

Harry watched as Ginny took the first shot on Blaise Zabini, the new Slytherin Keeper. The Quaffle soared straight through his outstretched fingers and through the leftmost goalhoop.

__

'And Gryffindor score! 10-0 to Gryffindor!'

The crowd cheered as Blaise retrieved the Quaffle and threw it to Findley, who took off down the pitch. He almost dropped the Quaffle in surprise when a Bludger from Cassie almost took the front of his broom off.

'_Nice Bludger work from Cassandra Milton! Those two were another brilliant find of Potter's, although they're nothing on the Weasley twins, of course._'

Alex made a very rude gesture at the commentary box when he flew past, chasing the other Bludger. He drew back his bat and pelted the iron ball towards Peuce, catching him a glancing blow on the shoulder. Melinda darted forwards and grabbed the Quaffle before he could recover, passing it off to Greg who scored the second goal for Gryffindor.

__

'Gryffindor score again! 20-0 to the Lions, and if Slytherin don't get their act together soon they're not going to have much chance in this one!'

Harry watched in satisfaction as Malfoy's face whitened in anger at Lee's comments. He gestured to Ginny, who nodded and raised one arm slightly. Melinda and Greg formed up behind her, the three making a wedge formation as they flew towards Warrington, who had just received the Quaffle from Blaise. The Slytherin's eyes narrowed as he saw the three Gryffindor Chasers bearing down on him, and feinted right but passed left to Peuce. Greg veered off to tag Warrington while Ginny and Melinda went after Peuce, who made to pass to Findlay. An unbelievably accurate Bludger shot from Cassie impacted with the Quaffle as it left his hands, driving it towards the ground where Melinda was waiting. She snagged the scarlet ball and within a few seconds had scored her first goal for the match.

'_Gryffindor score again after some phenomenal teamwork from the Chasers and Beaters! That's 30-0 to Gryffindor, and Slytherin are starting to look completely outclassed! 'Course, that's nothing new, they've always been a useless bunch of…_'

'JORDAN!'

'_Sorry Professor! Slytherin back in possession, let's see if they can keep it this time…_'

Harry's breath caught as a Bludger from Crabbe came a little too close to Ginny, but she almost casually dodged out of the way and intercepted the Quaffle from Findlay.

'_Gryffindor steals the Quaffle yet again! Ginny Weasley dodges Warrington and takes a shot at goal…blocked by Zabini!_'

Blaise smirked maliciously at Ginny as he barely managed to stop the Quaffle, throwing it back out to Peuce, who passed to Findlay. Greg went after him, but had to roll out of the way when a Bludger came rocketing at him from above. Findlay passed off to Warrington, who dodged around Melinda and came within the goal square. Ron was making a tight figure '8' around the goal posts, watching Warrington intensely. Warrington timed his throw, and the Quaffle sailed through the goal just out of Ron's reach.

'_First goal of the match to Slytherin! The score now 30-10, favouring Gryffindor!_'

'You think you can win, Potter?' Malfoy shouted as he flew near to Harry.

'Looks that way, yeah,' Harry said blandly. He wasn't going to rise to Malfoy, he was just trying to distract him.

'We'll see,' Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and he made an odd gesture to Crabbe. The hulking Slytherin nodded in response and signaled to Goyle. They each went after one of the Bludgers, forcing the twins out of the way, and simultaneously carted them straight at Melinda, who was trying to block Warrington.

'Melinda! Watch out!' Harry yelled, but he was too far away for her to hear. Feeling helpless, he sped off towards her, but Greg was faster. With a determined expression on his face he intercepted one of the Bludgers, swinging his left forearm into the heavy ball. The Bludger changed direction, speeding off towards Alex, who in turn whacked it at Peuce. Melinda spotted the second one and dodged out of the way. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as she waved her thanks to Greg, who waved back and sped off down the pitch, although he was now clutching his arm to his side.

'You'll have to do better than that, Malfoy!' Harry shouted triumphantly. Malfoy glared at him and took off towards the Slytherin end of the pitch. Harry watched him go, then turned his attention back to looking for the Snitch.

After the failed attempt to incapacitate Melinda, the Slytherins started playing very dirty. Gryffindor were awarded two penalties in as many minutes when first Peuce and then Warrington tried to get the Quaffle away from Greg by elbowing him, and Ginny was awarded a penalty when Findlay locked his broom handle with hers in an effort to keep her from shooting at goal.

Soon the score was 90-20 to the Gryffindors, and the Slytherins got even worse. Crabbe and Goyle seemed hell bent on disabling Harry, as Bludger after Bludger was sent his way. Cassie took up a pretty much permanent post near Harry, ready to deflect the constant barrage, while Alex took on the task of guarding the three Chasers. Fortunately, Crabbe and Goyle weren't clever enough to take advantage of the fact that there was only one Beater left to protect the other players, and kept up the relentless stream of Bludgers aimed at Harry.

Finally, when the score was 130-40, the Snitch made an appearance near the Slytherin goalposts. Harry spotted it and immediately urged the Firebolt on; across the pitch, Malfoy did the same. Harry was faster, but Malfoy was nearer. The crowd began to cheer anew as they realised what was happening, as the two Seekers homed in on the tiny golden ball.

'_What's this? The Seekers have spotted the Snitch! Get it, Harry!_'

Malfoy would reach it first, Harry realised with a sinking feeling, even as he urged the Firebolt to go faster. He hadn't counted on his escort, however. Cassie was still flying along with him, although she had lagged behind. Alex passed her a Bludger and she carted it straight at Malfoy, who almost didn't see it. With a curse he dodged out of the way, nearly falling from his broom in the process, and giving Harry all the edge he needed.

As his fingers closed around the Snitch, the crowd exploded into frenzied cheering. Grinning from ear to ear, Harry landed, his arm held triumphantly above his head and the silver wings beating futilely against his fingers.

'_Harry Potter takes the Snitch yet again for Gryffindor! Gryffindor win 280-40!_'

The rest of the team landed near Harry, and he found himself suddenly buried under them, all yelling hoarsely. For half the team it was their first Quidditch win, and they were quite literally ecstatic.

'Great catch Harry!' Greg yelled, laughing as Melinda leapt on him, screaming into his ear.

'Nice Bludger, Cassie!' Ron slapped her on the back, nearly knocking her over.

'Gee, thanks Ron,' she said sarcastically, then grinned and slapped him back, knocking him into Alex.

'Oi! Watch it, you,' Alex grinned, hugging his sister.

'You were great,' Ginny kissed Harry, then pulled away and smiled impishly. 'Told you so,' she said with a toss of her head. Harry smiled back.

Seconds later, there was a massive explosion from the other side of the castle.

__

A/N: Mwahahahaha! An evil cliffie for your enjoyment! Eh, went overboard with the Review Responses again. Oops. :)

Review Responses:

gpotter: _Ahh, jealousy. Say no more, I understand perfectly. ;)_

Larna Mandrea: _I have to say that Isabelle is probably my favourite OC. Don't know if she's the best ever yet, but I'm working on it. :)_

CreativeQuill: _Where do you think James, Alex, Cassie and Isabelle came from? I started writing Fan Fiction to hone my skills, and I'm using original characters from my novel to get a better grip on them._

Saerry Snape: _You have an unwholesome lust for pointy, sharp objects, you know that? And if you want Atra maimed, you'll have to do it yourself. Milamber is currently at the bottom of the Ionian sea_. _Don't ask me where that is, because I have no idea._

Melindaleo: _Ultimately, Hermione's loyal to Harry, and she knows it. She was just being honest._

FREAKSHOW1: _He has a reason to be, he's the saviour of the Wizarding world. He's not really 'high and mighty', as you put it, but he knows it all comes down to him, in the end. That's a heck of a burden to put on a sixteen year old, and he's showing some strain, as he would._

Serpentia: _Sounds like a plan, my friend. Throw some Johnny Howard effigies onto the pile too, would ya?_

Riina: _Let Milamber behind the wheel of a car? Are you nuts?!? If there was any car left after he'd finished, it wouldn't be recognisable.Trust me, he has enough trouble without putting wheels under him. Wheels with very expensive tyres._

craftygurl: _Why, exactly, do I have to have a book written before you marry? Am I missing something here?_

hpsk8ergurl: _Could be, could be…_

hyper yo yo boy: _That's a good idea, actually. The return of Fluffy…_

chikoalahuahua: _No, James is not James Potter, and Tonks is not Lily. Where on earth did you get the idea that Harry, Alex and Cassie were triplets? Eh, that's just weird._

Evansk: _Probably the one area I'm glad to disappoint. :)_

JeanieBeanie33: _Not to burst your bubble, but King Arthur was actually a bit of a let down. Keira was great in it, for what it's worth._

HeeroYuyz: _You may have a point there._

harryptaxd204: _Why do I get the feeling I should be running away, very fast?_

Cobalt45: _Harry probably knows far more than he should._

Rednal29: _No, I'm good. Whimsical Firefly is taking care of him for me. Chainsaws are involved, I understand. And a very deep ocean._

Heart Of The Phoenix: _Can you say 'major'? ;)_


	39. The Battle Of Hogwarts I

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Sorry about the long wait folks, but my laptop (which I've been writing this on) blew up last week, and I've only yesterday got my desktop back up and running. Don't worry, it wasn't just to prolong the suspense of that little cliff hanger at the end of the last chapter. So here, then, is the first chapter of HPMM written on a decent computer. Enjoy!_

_Oh yes, most of the spells used in this chapter come courtesy of Saerry Snape, along with the Lord and Lady Hex of course. If you want to look up what each spell actually means, go to her website www. terion. net (without the spaces) and look them up!_

_WARNING: This chapter contains violence and language. You have been warned._

Isabelle cursed as she fought against the surging crowds of panicked students, forcing her way towards the middle of the pitch where she knew Harry and the rest of the team were. Hermione had vanished, swept away in the mass of people all trying to get to the castle as quickly as possible.

The noise was incredible. Extending above Hogwarts was a massive golden dome, the ancient wards made visible, which was being attacked by a sickly green light. The screams of the younger students were pierced with sudden explosions when the wards would bunch up and almost throw the attacking light off. Under normal circumstances it would be fascinating to watch, but Isabelle had more important things to attend to.

She was on the verge of pulling her wand and cursing the students out of her way when a flash of red sped by overhead, and she heard her name called. She pulled her wand, but instead of cursing students she shot green sparks into the air. The red blur doubled back, resolving into the form of Alex.

'Come on,' he said, hauling her out of the mass and onto the back of his broom. She wrapped her arms about his waist and they were off. From her new vantage point, she could see Harry, Ginny, Ron, Cassie, Melinda and Greg already in the air. Hermione was riding with Ron, looking distinctly uncomfortable with her feet off the ground.

'Nice of you to finally show up, Isabelle!' Ginny shouted. Isabelle stuck her tongue out in response.

'Settle, children,' Greg grinned, which earned him a whack in the shoulder from Melinda.

'Harry!' Isabelle struggled to be heard over the continuing noise from above. 'Where are the teachers?'

'They all vanished!' Harry shouted back.

'What do you mean, vanished?' she called, but her words were drowned out by a particularly violent explosion.

'It's pretty self explanatory, isn't it?' Alex replied, being the only one in a position to have heard her question. 'They all vanished, even Dumbledore. Who bloody knows where they went.'

By now the pitch was almost empty, as most of the students raced for the dubious safety of the castle. Those that remained mostly consisted of DA members. Isabelle was immensely relieved when, a moment later, James and Tonks strode onto the pitch.

Harry flew down to meet them, and the rest followed.

'Portkeys,' James said tersely. 'Don't know how, but every teacher at the match had one.'

'How come you're both still here?' Ron asked.

'We weren't at the match, obviously,' James answered.

'Could someone have charmed the benches?' Hermione asked, a little unsteady on her feet after her brief flight. Ron reached out and wrapped one arm around her shoulders to keep her upright.

'It doesn't matter now,' Tonks interjected. 'There's an army of Death Eaters and Dementors waiting for the wards to fall.'

'Is he here?' Harry asked, his expression intense.

'Not so far as we can see,' James shook his head. 'Just Death Eaters and Dementors.'

'That's something, anyway,' Ginny muttered.

'Not much,' James said grimly. 'There's enough to deal with as it is.'

'So what do we do?' Ernie Macmillan asked. He and the rest of the DA were gathered around the group, along with several other students obviously wanting to help. Harry was a little surprised to see several Slytherins scattered through the group. Thankfully there was no sign of Malfoy.

The thought struck him as odd, but it was Ron who expressed his thoughts aloud. 'Hey, where's Malfoy?'

'And the rest of the Slytherin team?' Cassie added.

'They were mostly children of Death Eaters,' Isabelle supplied. 'Chances are pretty good we'll find them either helping the Death Eaters or staying out of the way.'

'So what do we do, Harry?' Greg Redfield asked, looking at him expectantly.

'How should I know?' Harry asked, glancing at James.

'Oh no,' James held up his hands. 'This is your party, not mine. I'm just along for the ride.'

'So what now, glorious leader?' Ginny asked impishly.

'I guess we'd better get over there and see what we're up against,' Harry said.

Alex and Cassie both jumped to attention. 'Aye aye, cap'n,' they said in unison.

'You're worse than Fred and George,' Harry muttered as he led the way off the pitch, his Firebolt in one hand and the still struggling Snitch in the other.

* * *

Harry led the group to the greenhouses, where they could get a good view of the front of the castle and remain out of sight. What he saw made his heart sink.

The assembled army was huge. Harry looked out over the combined mass of humans in Death Eater attire and, not far away, a horde of black robed Dementors. The former were standing around waiting for the inevitable moment when the wards fell and they could storm the castle. The Dementors, clearly not happy with waiting, hurled themselves against the glowing dome, their bony arms outstretched hungrily. And over it all, the mass of green light continued its relentless attack.

'Now what?' Hermione broke the silence.

'Can they get through the wards?' Harry asked James.

'How should I know?' he shrugged. 'I know Grindelwald tried to attack Beauxbatons, and he never got through the wards there. The wards around Hogwarts are stronger, but Grindelwald wasn't as powerful as Voldemort, either.'

'So will he get through or not?' Ron demanded.

'Why don't you just wait and find out, Weasley?' Zacharius Smith said bitingly.

'Why you little…' Ron's fists clenched and he would have gone after the smaller boy had Hermione not grabbed his arm.

'The enemy's over there,' she said coolly, twisting Ron's head so he could see the assembled army. 'Or did you forget that already?'

'Guys,' Harry said warningly, and everyone fell silent. 'We need to stick together, okay? The wards aren't down yet, but they may be soon. The teachers have all vanished, so we're the only one's here who can fight.'

'So all of you shut up while we work out a plan,' Ginny added, glaring at Zacharius.

'There's a good chance they won't break through,' Tonks said loud enough for the entire group to hear. 'Hogwarts is the safest place in the world.'

'Tell that to Cedric,' Harry muttered, and instantly all noise stopped.

'Right then,' Hermione said briskly after a few moments had passed, 'we need a plan of attack in case they do manage to break in.'

'Right,' Harry nodded decisively. 'Like we did in Hogsmeade, everyone. Split up into groups, and hide somewhere on the grounds. If we all stay together,' he added when several people began to protest, 'then we'll make easier targets. Understand?'

There were a few people obviously not totally happy with the plan, but they obediently began to form small groups and drift away to find somewhere to hide. Harry was going to object when he saw Melinda walking away with Greg; she was only a second year, after all. He thought better of it when he remembered all he, Ron and Hermione had accomplished as second years. He had a feeling Melinda wouldn't appreciate being told to stay out of the fight.

Finally only Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Alex, Cassie, James and Tonks were left. They remained hiding behind the greenhouses, each taking a position where they could see what was happening.

For a long moment, nothing changed. Then, finally, a fracture appeared in the golden dome, near the top. The green light, as if sentient, seemed to converge on that point, hurling itself again and again at the wards, and the crack began to widen. The Death Eaters laughed as one as they saw the wards weakening, and the crack began to lengthen. By the time it reached the ground, a long stream of Death Eaters were waiting to enter the grounds.

Harry watched in a strange detachment as the first few Death Eaters climbed through the gap. More followed, and soon a group of forty or so stood on the grounds, waiting for more of their number to join them. Hogwarts, however, obviously had other ideas.

The wards rang like a great bell, and suddenly the gap sealed itself shut, with a Death Eater halfway through. The man was instantly sliced in two, one half falling outside the wards and the other falling inside. At the same moment, the green light that had been attacking the wards relentlessly almost seemed to flinch, and then abruptly vanished.

The Death Eaters already inside the wards glanced at each other, obviously weighing their chances. One tried to get back out through the wards, but he was flung backwards to land in a heap as soon as he tried to touch it.

There was a loud war cry, and a group of students jumped out of their cover from the other side of the castle and started hurling spells at the milling group. Harry recognised Seamus and Dean, along with several other Gryffindors.

'Come on!' Harry shouted, sprinting around the greenhouses to join the fight as the Death Eaters retaliated. Harry saw a fifth year Gryffindor he didn't know fall to the ground, clutching his stomach. Several other groups of students left their hiding places and also began hurling spells. Not many got through, however, as a few of the black robed men and women grouped their power to form a shield around themselves.

The run from the greenhouses to the front of the castle had never seemed longer to Harry as he watched the melee. Several more students were down, but by now several Death Eaters were too. The mass of Death Eaters still outside had mostly Disapparated, obviously realising they were not going to get in, but a few had stayed to watch the fight. The Dementors continued to hurl themselves against the wards, but from outside they were powerless.

Finally Harry was in range. A Death Eater turned and saw the group running, and shouted to his comrades.

'It's Potter!' he shouted. 'Kill him for the Master!'

'_Commoveo!_' Harry roared. The Death Eater was lifted off his feet and hurled through the air, crashing into the wards. His body convulsed as if being electrocuted then dropped to the ground. He didn't move again.

Almost as one body the Death Eaters spun to face the approaching group. Suddenly Harry was having second thoughts about the wisdom of his reckless charge, and he was immensely grateful when two red blurs sped by overhead. Alex and Cassie both wore grim expressions, and both had their wands raised. They began to rain spells on the Death Eaters, who were forced to take cover.

'Harry!' Ginny caught up with him, breathless, and pulled him behind a tree as spells continued to fly in all directions. 'Don't run off like that, you goose!'

'Sorry,' Harry said sheepishly, glancing around the tree. Alex and Cassie were still circling the grouped Death Eaters, weaving and dodging the return fire and hurling spells of their own at every opportunity. They didn't seem to be too worried about their own safety, and Harry had to wonder what had happened in the past to make them hate the forces of Voldemort so much.

A well timed curse took Alex in the shoulder, and he cried out in pain, dropping his wand. Isabelle, who had just joined Harry and Ginny, screamed with rage and darted around the tree as the stricken boy lost control of his broom, hurtling towards the ground. Without even thinking Harry followed her, ready to back her up.

A Death Eater separated from the pack and walked almost casually through the storm of curses, heading straight for Harry and Isabelle. Harry went cold all over as he watched the woman approach; he was absolutely certain he knew who it was. His suspicion was confirmed when she removed her mask to reveal the gaunt features of Bellatrix Lestrange. Isabelle stopped in her tracks, Alex momentarily forgotten.

'So, daughter, we finally meet,' Bellatrix gloated, her wand raised and pointed straight at Isabelle. 'I never thought I'd see the day when a child of mine turned traitor. So much the sweeter when I end your miserable life.'

'Go,' Harry whispered to her, nudging her in the back. 'I'll look after Alex.'

Isabelle nodded, then took a step forward. 'I'm not afraid of you,' she said, her voice clear and cold. 'I've been trained to duel by Harry Potter, the wizard who's going to end the life of your miserable master.' Harry used the opportunity to hurry away, towards where Alex was still circling unsteadily.

Bellatrix laughed, and replied in a voice just as cold. 'Oh really? Iddy bitty baby Potter going to kill the Dark Lord? We'll have to see about that, won't we?'

Isabelle's eyes narrowed, and she brandished her wand. '_Praecipito!_' Bellatrix easily avoided the spell, laughing again.

'You really think you can duel your own mother?' she asked in a falsely upset tone. 'Shame on you, where's your Gryffindor honour now? _Crucio!_'

Isabelle screamed, her legs collapsing under her as she was subjected to the Cruciatus curse for the first time in her life. Pain beyond imagining filled her body, like a thousand knives slicing into her all at once, and she curled into the foetal position on the ground.

Through the pain she vaguely heard a roar of rage, and as suddenly as it had begun the pain stopped. She glanced up weakly to see Bellatrix sprawled on the ground and James standing over her, his fist clenched. His eyes were glowing bright blue, and his fist was surrounded by a nimbus of energy.

Bellatrix stood slowly, eyeing James with contempt. 'Only you would lower yourself to such Muggle tactics, Milton,' she spat.

James smiled grimly. 'Ah, but it worked, didn't it?' he asked, raising one eyebrow. 'Why don't you pick on someone your own size, bitch?'

Bellatrix bared her teeth, levelling her wand at the Mind Mage. 'Back off, Milton,' she said in a low voice. 'She's mine, and I'm going to punish her as I see fit.'

James laughed cruelly, and the light in his eyes intensified. 'You're trying to be a parent, now?' he asked in a tone of contempt. 'Nice try, _Bella_. I really don't think Isabelle's interested.'

Bellatrix snarled and shot a spell at James. He didn't seem to move, but the spell passed right through him.

'Fuck you, Milton!' Bellatrix shouted, firing curses in rapid succession. James held up his fist and opened his hand, and the blue light that had surrounded it expanded to form a shield, blocking her curses. She tried the Killing curse but James merely dodged, so that her spell continued and took another Death Eater in the back. He fell to the ground, lifeless.

The battle continued to rage on around them, but none of the three really cared. By now most of the Death Eaters were down, overwhelmed by superior numbers, although quite a few students had fallen too.

Finally Bellatrix ceased her stream of spells, panting heavily. Her wand hand shook as she glared at the man still standing calmly in front of her.

'You'll have to do better than that, Bella,' he taunted, then the light went out in his eyes and he slowly toppled over to land on the ground in a heap. A Death Eater had hit him from behind with a Stunning Spell.

Bellatrix smirked at the fallen man, her wand still trained on his crumpled form. 'Time to end it, Milton,' she said triumphantly.

'No!' Isabelle struggled to her feet, her wand trained on her mother. 'Don't even think about it!'

Bellatrix spun, and Isabelle cried, '_Expelliarmus!_' Bellatrix was too quick, however, and blocked the spell almost contemptuously.

'Is that really the best you can do, my daughter?' she taunted. 'But I thought you were trained by the great Harry Potter?'

Isabelle ground her teeth together, then flicked her wand in a star pattern and shouted, '_Dolor Acidus!_'

Now it was Bellatrix's turn to scream as pain flared through her arm, causing her to drop her wand. Isabelle immediately followed the pain spell with a Stunning spell, but Bellatrix dodged, diving to the ground to get her wand back.

'_Accio wand!_' Isabelle cried, but Bellatrix snagged the wand out of midair. Grinning triumphantly, she turned the wand once again on her daughter.

'Too slow, daughter mine,' she said quietly, her eyes seeming to burn with madness. '_Avada Kedavra!_'

There was no time. The green light sped out of Bellatrix's wand, and there was no way Isabelle could get out of the way. She was going to die, she was sure of it…

'_Perlustro!_'

…and the green light passed straight through her chest to impact on the wall of Hogwarts behind her, leaving a small scorch mark. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at Alex, who was now on the ground and pointing his wand at Isabelle. There was a hole in his robes at his shoulder, and blood was leaking out, staining the material.

'Don't you people know it's impolite to interrupt a duel?' Bellatrix said harshly, levelling her wand at Alex. '_Avada…'_

It happened so quickly that, even months later, Isabelle never fully remember the exact second she made the decision. Her wand levelled at her mother, and the fateful words passed her lips before she even had time to think about it.

'_Avada Kedavra!_'

Bellatrix's eyes widened in surprise as the bolt of green light took her in the stomach. Her wand dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers, her own spell dying with her. Her eyes went vacant and she slumped to the ground.

Isabelle was vaguely aware that all sounds of combat had stopped. She stared blankly at her mother's corpse, unaware of the many eyes watching her. The last Death Eater was down, by her hand.

Strong arms encircled her, and she raised her gaze to stare into Alex's intense blue eyes. Not far away stood a battered looking Harry, watching the pair with sadness clearly written on his face.

Then the reality of what she had done came crashing into Isabelle's mind like a breaking wave, and she broke down in Alex's arms and wept.

_A/N: I told you Bellatrix would be back. Hand up anyone who saw this coming._

_Review Responses:_

Saerry Snape: _This is almost too good to be true…according to my count, you were my 1000th reviewer! That is seriously mad. Oh, and on the subject of sharp, pointy things, I leave you with a quote: Those who live by the sword tend to get shot by those who don't. A rifle is much better. ;)_

Riina: _I have an Aussie friend who, after reading your review, sent me an e-mail filled with generous use of the 'F' word and other generally insulting things directed at you. Being slightly more level headed (and sane) than she is, I'll answer as if you asked a serious question. No, Australia is not the "_rugged 'outback' they say it is, made up almost entirely of rural areas". _It is, in fact, one of the most urbanised countries in the world, comparative to population. Just for the record, Sydney covers an area half that of LA, Melbourne (where I live damnit!) is comparible, as is Brisbane (where said friend lives). And the only time you'll see Kangaroos hopping around everywhere is when you've had far, FAR too much to drink._

gpotter: _It is now. ;) I've read MUCH worse than that, believe me…_

krissygurl: _Sorry, I'm not deliberately ignoring you, but I usually only answer specific questions, otherwise the review responses are longer than the chapters! Thanks for reviewing, hope you continue to enjoy!_

Luna Lovegood2: _Yup, loud 'booms' are good. :)_

CreativeQuill: _You've got a snowballs chance in hell (;p) of getting it out of me._

fanaticalRMB: _That's a problem with ff .net. Hit refresh on your browser to load the rest of the chapter._

eruve tinwen: _Oh perfect, another Queenslander. :) Nice to see you're enjoying yourself. Just wait till Norbert actually arrives…_

Merusa: _New groupies are always welcome. ;) Does this dispel the superhuman James for you? He's not quite as invincible as he'd like to believe. The muse fight could be good, but the problem is Milamber is a mage. He'd just incinerate your muse. /Damn straight, I would./ Keep it up, and I'll incinerate YOU. /Meep…/ Hope you liked Isabelle in this chapter, too. If not…blame Milamber. He's the one who came up with the idea. /Hey!/_

Batsnumbereleven: _You'll see more of Harry in class at some point, I'm sure. It depends on what my muse has to say._

sunni07: _You're right…as far as it went. I want to know EXACTLY where it happened, though. Look at a map…the clues are all there…_

Lord Agamus: _Indeed I am, but that was a typo. It's been corrected._

Poohdog: _I'm not sure that she could just blend into the background like that. I suppose she could use a Disillusionment spell, but an Invisibility cloak is easier and more reliable, I'm betting._

Elise: _Heh…you missed by six. Oh well, 994 is still pretty good…_

FREAKSHOW1: _He's the saviour of the wizarding world, of course. ;)_

Rednal29: _So long as he's still alive at the end, you can have him. /Hey!/ Better suit up, my friend…dragons are mostly immune to magic, I hear. /Bugger this!/_

harryptaxd204: _Meep…(runs for it)_


	40. Secrets Revealed

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: -Greetings all, I'm James' new muse, Jonas.-_ _Aw heck, not another one. You see what you lot are putting me through? Not enough to have one, now I have to have two! /Can't say I feel sorry for you./ You stay out of this. -If you were wondering, I'm a Paladin. The annoying one over here is a mage.- /I am NOT annoying!/ Yes you are. At least Jonas is sane. -Thank you, my friend.- Anytime._

_Righto, I suppose we'd better get on with the chapter about now. -That may indeed be a good start.- Didn't I just say that? -Yes, I was agreeing with you.- (blink) Well, that's a nice change…/Hey!/_

_Ah, before we start, there was a little confusion about the spell Alex used to save Isabelle, so I'll post the spell description, courtesy of A Guide to Hexes, Curses and Spells: The How To, Where To, When To, and Why In Merlin's Name To, by the Lord and Lady Hex. Cheers Saerry!_

* * *

Perlustro 

Meaning: To Pass Through

Effect: Causes whatever it is cast upon to pass through another object or to allow something/someone to pass through an object

Side Effect/Other Possible Uses or Facts: Only allows thing cast upon to pass through something ONE TIME. Do not attempt again.

Subtype: Defensive/Random

* * *

_Ergo, he made Isabelle incorporeal so the spell passed through her. Hope that clarified things._

_Due to a massive case of writers block, I'm going to post a chapter I absolutely hate. Feel free to flame me about it, 'cause I can assure you I've already said the same things. _

'Stop that!' James slapped Tonks' hands away as she tried to get him to drink a potion. 'I'm fine, dammit!'

'I can correct that, if you want,' Tonks said suggestively. 'Now drink the potion.'

'It was only…oh fine, give it here,' James took the potion, making some show of being disgusted, and drained it.

'Much better,' Tonks said, catching Harry's eyes and winking.

Harry had to fight down a grin. It was some hours after the battle, and they were once again in the Hospital wing. Madam Pomphrey was bustling between beds, administering care to those students injured during the fight. Everyone had been immensely relieved to find that no students had been lost, and everyone would recover – eventually.

'Anyway,' James continued what he had been saying before Tonks had interrupted with the potion, 'he was just playing with us. It's one of his little power trips, I'm afraid.'

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. He, along with the rest of the teachers, had appeared at the front gates of the castle an hour after they vanished to find the ground torn to shreds after the battle and bodies strewn everywhere. 'I too have seen these tactics. He used them frequently during the last war.'

'It was never intended to be a serious attack,' James finished, wincing slightly as the potion took effect. 'It was designed to cultivate terror, nothing more. When the real assault on Hogwarts begins, he won't hold back.'

'Still, I don't think he thought this attack would cost him one of his top Death Eaters,' Ron said in satisfaction. He had a bandage around his head, and Hermione was fussing over him incessantly.

The door opened and Ginny and Cassie entered, their faces sombre.

'We couldn't find them,' Ginny announced, seating herself on the side of Harry's bed. 'Merlin knows where they've gone.'

'I don't understand,' Cassie said in a barely audible voice. 'He's never done this before, he's never…'

Words failed her, and she looked close to tears. James climbed out of bed, almost snarling at Tonks when she tried to restrain him, crossed the room and enfolded his daughter in a hug. She broke down in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder.

Harry had never before considered just how much her twin meant to Cassie. It had hit her very hard when, not long after the battle, both he and Isabelle had vanished. Now that he thought back on it, he realised it was very rare to see one without the company of the other for more than a few minutes. He hoped for her sake that he wasn't gone long.

* * *

Alex leaned back against a tree, staring through the overhanging branches at the small patch of visible sky. Nearby Isabelle sat with her back against a different tree, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth slowly.

Try though he might, he couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. He knew what she had just gone through would have to be traumatic, but his own experiences were, in his eyes, far worse. A small, irrational part of him was angry with her for not being more sensitive to his own feelings. That small irrational part chose to ignore the fact that he had never told her, or anyone else, what had happened.

'Why did Harry leave me?' Isabelle suddenly whispered, forcing the dark thought from Alex's mind. 'He could have fought her, and then none of this would have happened.'

'The world isn't always that fair,' Alex said shortly. 'Do you really want Harry's hands stained with her blood?'

'Maybe…better him than me,' Isabelle looked up and caught Alex's eyes. The pain and horror he saw there made his blood run cold. But even so, he was objective enough to realise the truth.

'Take what you're feeling and multiply it by a hundred,' he said softly, holding her gaze. 'That's what Harry would feel if he were in your position.'

A choked sob escaped her, and she buried her face between her knees. Alex wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but somehow he couldn't force himself to do it. It was as if a wall had been erected between them, and although she sat not three feet away, she may as well have been on the far side of the moon.

'What am I supposed to do?' Isabelle asked brokenly, and in that moment Alex witnessed the last of the icy façade the ex-Slytherin had erected melt away, to be replaced by the young, unsure form of the real Isabelle Lestrange. 'How the bloody hell am I supposed to face everyone now? I killed my own mother!'

'You cope,' Alex said bluntly. 'There's nothing else you can do.'

'What the hell do you know?' Isabelle suddenly flared, raising her head and staring at Alex defiantly. 'Have you ever killed anyone?'

'I watched Death Eaters kill my mother!' Alex suddenly roared, months of pent up emotion releasing all at once. 'Do you think for a second that what you did is in any way worse than what I went through? Those bloody bastards raped and killed my mother in front of me and Cassie!' Isabelle's face registered shock as Alex's intense blue eyes bored into her own dark ones. 'Then, to top it all off, my father arrives home and massacres the lot of them! How do you think that made me feel? But you'd never think, would you? None of you would!' He spun abruptly and stalked away, slamming his fist into a tree in his path. He ignored the surge of white-hot pain that coursed up his arm, glaring at the unoffending tree as if it had been the one to commit such atrocities. In a childish but somewhat satisfying display of temper, he ripped his wand from his belt and muttered a quick spell, reducing the tree to ashes in seconds.

A light step behind him told him Isabelle had followed him. Conflicting emotions fought within him for supremacy; he was still caught up in a towering anger, the result of many months worth of suppressed emotion, but at the same time he knew he was being childish, directing his anger at one who didn't deserve it, and was currently very much in need of comforting.

With a light but firm hand on his shoulder, Isabelle turned him around to face her. Her eyes glistened with tears, but her expression was serious and determined. 'I never knew,' she said simply. Alex had only a brief second to wonder at her intentions before she reached up and kissed him very seriously.

Alex's eyes widened in shock: of all the things he had been expecting, this had not been very high on the list. He could taste the saltiness of her tears on her lips, and in that moment all his anger melted away. As the kiss deepened and Alex's arms moved almost of their own accord to wrap themselves around her slight form, his last conscious thought was not of anger, but surprise as he realised he had fallen head over heels for the ex-Slytherin without even realising it.

* * *

Harry sat propped up in bed in the Hospital wing, listening as Seamus excitedly described his part in the battle to Ron. The pair had been telling stories for some time, each trying to outdo the other. Ron had told some stories which Harry knew to be pure fabrication, and he imagined Seamus was doing more or less the same.

'…and then two Death Eaters jump up from nowhere, right? And another one's got his wand on Dean, and Neville's duelling another Death Eater, so he can't help. And so I took them both on, you should have seen it, spells flying everywhere! I got one with a Bat Bogey hex – gotta thank Ginny for teaching me that one – but the other one manages to get in close enough to knock my wand out of my hand. So I jumped him, fists flailing, and –'

'Give it a rest, you two,' Hermione said irritably, not even glancing up from her book. 'I'm trying to read, and I can't concentrate when you're making so much noise. You were both brilliant, so just accept it!'

Harry had to hide a grin behind his hand as he saw Ron's mixed expression, both pride at being called brilliant and sheepishness for being so transparent.

The ward doors banged open, and Padfoot came running through, his paws scrabbling at the flagstone floor for traction. He leapt onto Harry's bed and began licking his face enthusiastically, all the while growling warningly. Harry laughed helplessly, unable to dislodge the massive dog from atop him, while Zith hissed in irritation from his wrist as she was battered against the black canine.

Dumbledore followed more sedately, his eyes twinkling as he watched Harry and Sirius wrestling. Ginny, laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, tried to drag the dog off, but Harry caught her arm and pulled her atop him, causing Padfoot to yelp in surprise, then squirm around so he could attack Ginny's face. She squealed, raising her hands to protect her face.

Dumbledore sighed heavily. As much as he hated to, he had to break up the happy moment. 'Harry, I need a moment of your time.'

All movement in the room stilled; even Padfoot abandoned his assault on Ginny to stare almost accusingly at the Headmaster.

'What's happened?' Harry asked, all traces of his laughter gone from his face. His tone was serious, and his hand reflexively went for his wand.

'Nothing new,' Dumbledore winced internally; James had been right, it was much harder to tell him after the incident. Harry's piercing eyes filled with sudden suspicion, and Ginny's narrowed dangerously.

'Come,' Dumbledore motioned, and Harry climbed out of bed. Ginny discretely linked her hand with his as they followed Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione trailing. Behind them all came Padfoot, his toenails clicking sharply against the stone floor.

Dumbledore walked in silence, and Harry felt dread begin to form. It had been some time since he had seen the Headmaster so serious, and it was never a good sign. That he had said, 'Nothing new' indicated it was either a recurring problem or, more likely, that something had happened before the battle and the Order had not seen fit to inform them. Wild theories began forming in his head, until they got so ridiculous he reigned himself in. He'd just have to wait and see for himself.

Finally Dumbledore stopped in front of a tapestry depicting, oddly, an ordinary Muggle street. He reached forward and touched the second house on the left, muttering what Harry assumed was a password. A door-sized section of the wall seemed to fold inwards, and Dumbledore stepped back, motioning for Harry to enter. He glanced nervously at Ginny, who squeezed his hand reassuringly, and together they stepped through the doorway.

'YOU!'

_A/N: Don't kill me! Sorry it's so short, but I have a massive case of writers block, coupled with too much stuff happening in my life at once. I'll be quicker with the next one, I swear!_

_Oh yeah, before I forget, I actually broke down and started a Live Journal. If the story hasn't been updated for a while and you're wondering if I'm still alive or not, check there and chances are I'll have posted more info. The address is in my Profile. If you have any ideas for the story, they're welcome too, of course._

_On a lighter note, Quick Edit is driving me up the friggin' wall._

_Review Responses:_

Whispyraven: _Thanks for the effort, it's certainly several cuts above anything I ever wrote. But I'm so far into it now I just couldn't be bothered going back to change it. Maybe I'll save it for a re-write or something._

Treck: _That's just disturbing._

Riina: _Just out of curiosity, have you heard the new Green Day song? You know, American Idiot? Nah, just kidding. But you Americans really need to start taking an interest in the rest of the world._

eruve tinwen: _You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you actually thought Brisbane was better than Melbourne. What a shocking thing to suggest… ;p_

Saerry Snape: _You might want to watch the whole sword hugging thing. Dem tings are pointy…_

sunni07:_ Well, you're only about 100kms off (around the bay, that is – no idea what it is in a straight line), but it's still the closest yet. Wrong side of the bay, btw._

whitcodj: _Yeah, I did know that. Pity they won't put it back in…_

Rednal29: _This is all your fault! You just had to go threaten Milamber with Dragons, didn't you? Now he's dragged another muse in to protect him. -Indeed. On Faerun I hold no small reputation as a Dragon slayer.- /Yay! I'm safe!/ -However, I never said I would use those abilities to protect you.- /Crud…/_

Merusa: _Hmm, being a ghost does have certain advantages, I suppose. /That's not fair!/ So you've said. Doesn't seem to make much difference, though. I can have a look at your story, but I can't promise anything. I'm flat out trying to find time to write my own stuff._

gpotter: _Alex and Isabelle fan eh? Funny that…_

harryptaxd204: _You know, personally, I think the running was the better option here…_

FREAKSHOW1: _You're entitled to your opinion even if it's wrong. :p Siriusly (there's that thrice cursed joke again!), all will be revealed. Harry isn't being an a-hole deliberately._

Evansk: _Just for calling me common, here's another bitch of a cliffie. Enjoy! ;p_

Alice: _If I started going into my real beliefs, you'd all run screaming. That's just a plot point._


	41. Dumbledore's Offer

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: The next person who tries to tell me Ginny's real name is Virginia is going to find themselves introduced to the business end of a cricket bat. Once and for all, here's a bloody quote direct from JKR's website:_

_"Ginny (full name Ginevra, not Virginia), is the first girl to be born into the Weasley clan for several generations."_

_Do your research, people. Stop wasting my time, and everyone else's._

_Stuff it, let's just get into the chapter, shall we?_

His wand clenched tightly in his hand, Harry stepped through the doorway, and found himself in the last place on earth he'd expected.

The front hallway of Privet Drive.

He blinked, then glanced behind him. What should have been the front doorway still opened out into the corridor of Hogwarts, and his friends were standing looking anxiously through. Ginny, the only one who had actually seen this part of the house, scowled as she recognised it.

Just then Vernon came through the kitchen doorway, a Muggle newspaper in his hand. Both Harry's and Vernon's mouths dropped open in almost identical expressions of surprise.

'You!' Vernon roared, making to lunge at Harry, his arms outstretched as if he would strangle him. Harry raised his wand, and Vernon stopped in mid-step.

'This is Hogwarts, remember,' Harry said matter-of-factly as Ginny, Ron and Hermione rushed through the doorway, ready to defend him should the need arise. 'I'm perfectly capable of using magic here and getting away with it.'

Vernon's face turned a mottled purple at the mention of the forbidden 'M' word, but with obvious difficulty he held his tongue.

'What the bloody hell are you doing here?' Ron asked coldly. Hermione was fingering her wand nervously, and Ginny was looking downright murderous.

'What the bloody hell am I doing here?' Vernon repeated in a tightly controlled voice. 'Your lot has absolutely no manners, that's what. Some ruddy man in _those_,' he eyes their school robes in contempt, 'showed up and told us we had to move here. Something about Lord Volde-whatsit was going to attack us.' He snorted disbelievingly.

Harry nodded absently. 'He was probably going to try and break the blood protection.'

'Vernon?' Harry's aunt appeared from the kitchen. 'What's…' She froze and all the blood seemed to drain from her face as she spotted Harry.

'Mum?' Dudley wandered down the stairs, seeing his mother standing stock still like she'd seen a ghost, 'What's wrong?' Then he spotted Harry. With a pathetic squeal he bolted back upstairs, his hands clutching his behind.

'Don't you go using your filthy abnormality on my family,' Vernon growled, eyeing the wand in Harry's hand.

Harry snorted derisively. 'I wouldn't waste the effort,' he said coldly, then turned and swept out through the door and back into Hogwarts. His friends followed him, and the door sealed itself shut again.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' Dumbledore said sadly, his eyes lacking any of their usual twinkle. 'My sources indicated that the Dursley's were being targeted by Voldemort, and for your sake as well as theirs I could not let them perish.'

'Your sources? You mean Snape,' Harry said.

'Professor Snape, Harry,' Dumbledore corrected gently.

'How long have they been here?'

Dumbledore sighed heavily before answering. 'A little over a month.'

'A month?' Harry repeated incredulously. 'They've been here a month and you didn't tell me? Why the bloody hell not?'

To Harry's surprise, Dumbledore smiled. 'You know, you're even more like your father than I thought. He said exactly the same thing to me on many occasions.' The Headmaster's blue eyes locked onto Harry's, and something deep within that time-worn gaze disturbed Harry greatly. In that moment it hit him just exactly what the old wizard in front of him had been through in his many years of life, and Harry found himself respecting the Headmaster more than ever. It was a peculiar feeling, after the almost-anger of a moment ago.

'A few days ago, Professor Milton pointed a few things out to me and other high ranking Order members,' Dumbledore said, his gaze now encompassing the three students standing behind Harry as well. 'At the time I was inclined to disagree with him, but after the events of the last few days I am forced to concede his point.'

'James proposed, and I now agree, that you, Harry, as well as Ginevra, Ronald, Hermione, Alexander, Cassandra and Isabelle, be inducted into the Order.'

Once again, Harry found himself staring at the Headmaster incredulously.

'But sir, we're all underage,' Hermione pointed out.

Dumbledore chuckled. 'True enough, Miss Granger, but I hardly think that matters at this point. I sincerely doubt I could stop you from doing what you think is right, and if you are part of the Order you will have access to information that may assist you to make the correct choices. I would not like to see a repeat of last year's incident.'

'Neither would I,' Harry said surely.

'Then will you all accept my offer of membership in the Order?'

'Of course we will,' Ron said, his face lit up with eager anticipation. 'Right, Harry?'

Harry only hesitated a moment. 'Yeah, I think we will.'

Dumbledore smiled, and the twinkle reappeared in his eyes. 'Excellent! And what of Miss Lestrange and the Milton twins?'

'We'll find them and let them know,' Harry said. 'I doubt they'll refuse membership.'

'Very well then, I leave the matter in your capable hands,' Dumbledore nodded. 'I trust you will let me know of their decisions?'

Harry returned the nod. 'We'll go find them now.'

* * *

They found Cassie in the empty common room, staring moodily into the fire. Alex and Isabelle were still nowhere to be found.

They quickly informed her of Dumbledore's offer, but she didn't seem to be very interested.

'I'll join if Alex does,' she said shortly, and went back to staring into the fire. Harry and Ginny exchanged a worried glance, and then took a seat on one of the free couches. Ron and Hermione took another.

They sat in silence for about twenty minutes, at which point the Fat Lady swung open, admitting Alex and Isabelle. Alex took one look at the rather sombre group and raised an eyebrow. 'What, something we missed?'

Without a word Cassie stood, walked around the couch, drew back her arm and punched Alex in the jaw. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

'What the hell was that for?' Isabelle demanded, kneeling next to Alex, who was blinking at the ceiling.

'Bloody hell, woman!' he said, sitting up and shaking his head to clear it. He touched his jaw gingerly with his fingertips. 'What was that for?'

'Because you're a stupid, moronic, arrogant _male_!' Cassie shot back, then dropped to her knees and engulfed the startled Alex in a hug. 'If you ever do that again, I'll give you a lot more than a punch, I'll tell you that!'

'Fair enough,' Alex said, wrapping his arms around his sister. 'Now would you kindly tell me just exactly what it was I did? Ow!' he yelped as Cassie slapped the back of his head. 'What?'

'I'm sure you can work it out,' Cassie said, pulling away from him and standing up again, then reaching down to pull her twin to his feet. 'Now I think Harry has something to say.'

'Yeah, I do,' Harry nodded, waiting until everyone was seated to begin. He briefly told the story of finding the Dursley's, then finished with, 'Dumbledore offered to let us all join the Order.'

Alex's eyebrow shot up again, and Isabelle's eyes narrowed. 'What's the catch?' she asked bluntly.

'We don't think there is one,' Harry assured her. 'Dumbledore said that James spoke to him, and pointed out that it would be better to have us in the Order than out. Probably thinks we'll run off and do something stupid if we're not.' The last was said with a note of bitterness.

'Stop blaming yourself for what happened at the Department of Mysteries,' Ginny said, laying a hand on his arm. 'I'll tell you right now that I'd do exactly the same if I thought you were in danger, and I doubt anyone in this room can honestly say otherwise.'

'Why now?' Cassie asked thoughtfully. With the return of her twin she seemed far more aware and energetic than she had even a few minutes ago, and the difference was rather profound. 'Why not at the start of the year, or the end? Something pretty serious must have changed that we don't know about.'

'She's right,' Hermione agreed. 'I wonder what it is? Professor Dumbledore seemed almost anxious to have us in the Order, when always before he's insisted that we were too young. He wouldn't even let Fred and George join last year, remember? And they were of age, even if they were still at school.'

There was a thoughtful silence. Finally Harry glanced around the common room. 'Tonks?'

There was silence for a moment, then with heavy sigh Tonks pulled the hood of her invisibility cloak off. 'What?' she asked crossly. 'It's bad enough that you know I'm here, you can't keep calling me out of the bushes this way.'

'What do you think?' Harry asked, unperturbed. 'Do you think we should join?'

'Of course I do,' Tonks said immediately, glancing around at the group. 'Look, I know the Order has done all of you wrong in the past, but we were only trying to protect you until you were ready to carry on the fight yourselves. If Dumbledore has decided that now is the right time, then he's probably right.'

'Come on, I don't see what we're waiting for,' Ron said. 'If we join the Order then we can help fight!'

'I doubt Dumbledore's going to let us fight any battles yet,' Alex said dryly.

Tonks chuckled. 'From what I've seen of you seven, I highly doubt he could stop you from doing _anything_ if you really set your minds to it.'

'I still don't know,' Isabelle said dubiously. 'Something seems…wrong, somehow. I don't know what it is.'

'Maybe you're just being paranoid,' Ron suggested. Isabelle shrugged.

'Maybe…but then again, maybe not. I'm just saying we should keep our wits about us. At the very least, I'm sure not all the Order members are going to accept us as fast as Tonks and Dumbledore – Snape, for instance. In most eyes I'm still a Slytherin who somehow managed to trick the hat into putting me in Gryffindor, and after the battle, I'm sure nothing's changed.' She didn't mention the specific event she referred to, but everyone got her point.

'Well, I'm going to join,' Harry interjected. 'I'm not going to force anyone else to join if they don't want to, and we won't think any less of anyone who doesn't.'

'Harry,' Alex said in a pained voice. 'Are you sure you're not a Slytherin in disguise? That's the biggest guilt trip in the book.' He thought a moment, then sighed. 'Okay, I'm in.'

'Ditto,' Cassie affirmed.

All eyes turned to Isabelle. 'Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?' she muttered, then caught Harry's eyes. 'Fine, you've talked me into it. But I'm still going to warn everyone to be careful. There's something going on here that we can't see.'

'Granted,' Harry nodded. 'So we're all joining, then?'

'Looks that way,' Alex said, making a face. 'I wonder what dad's going to say? He refused to join the Order when Dumbledore offered, although he never said why.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'It's obvious, isn't it? He was fighting for both sides in the last war, which means he was fighting against the Order at some stage, and probably fought directly against some of the members still left over from last time. I don't think they'd be too happy about him being a member, in case he decided to turn on them again and go work for Voldemort if he paid more.'

'But he'd never do that,' Cassie objected.

'We know that,' Hermione answered. 'But some of the other Order members don't know him as well.'

Harry stood up. 'I'll go tell Dumbledore that we're all joining,' he said, then headed for the portrait hole. Tonks flipped her hood back up and followed.

In small groups, the students left. Ron and Hermione disappeared after Harry, Ginny went up to her dorm muttering about homework, while Alex and Cassie sat in a corner with their heads together, talking quietly. Only Isabelle stayed by the fire, scowling into the flames.

_A/N: Huzzah! Finally finished. I find it mildly amusing that _one _person guessed what was really behind the door. Everyone seemed to assume that it was Harry who spoke. :)_

_Review Responses:_

sunni07:_ Mate, I was kidding. Besides, if you want to get technical, Geelong is part of Melbourne..._

Retrieve the Melon: _Cliffies are evil, I agree, but every now and again my muses come over inexplicably evil. Take it up with them._

C.H.I.C.K: _Now now, no need to get homicidal. You can stop looking for more storage space._

gpotter: _That's interesting, I didn't get an Author Alert for the new one. Hmm…bloody ff .net. Grr…_

vire: _A little of both._

Riina: _Erm…yes, the Live Journal comment was a joke. Never mind. RE: Human stupidity, my favourite quote (from Albert Einstein himself) is, "Only two things are infinite: the Universe and Human Stupidity. And I'm not convinced about the Universe."_

Whimsical Firefly: _Yep. Happy now. ;)_

Cobalt45: _Congratulations for being one of only two people to even mention the Dursleys. Honestly, it wasn't that hard, was it? I thought it'd be really obvious. Meh._

Lourdes: _Thanks, you really have no idea how much that means to me._

Melindaleo: _I doubt Dumbles will ever really learn. If you're ever looking for some really wacky spells to use in your fics, check out the Guide. I'm sure Saerry wouldn't mind…_

Ice Maiden: _Oh Gods, not another Queenslander! :) A plague of Barney's? That's going a bit far, don't you think? There'll be a bit more Snape in the next few chapters (so long as my muses cooperate, of course). Avoid the bang stick at all costs._

Saerry "Too Lazy to Login" Snape: _Probably safer with the scabbards on. That sounds like a good name for a fic! "James Milton and the Evil Cliffhanger of Doom"…lol_

CreativeQuill: _Glad you liked it! Milamber's still got this unwholesome love of trees, he seems to be under the delusion he's safe if he's up a tree. And yes, Isabelle isn't one to let something go THAT easily…_

siriusblack08: _Heh, don't feel too bad. You should have seen MY first attempt at a fic, it was awful! No, before you ask, you can't read it. I burned it. Oh yeah, I got the Werewolf too. Maybe you should change your pen name…_

Merusa: _Heh…congratulations, the interaction between Cassie and Alex was inspired by your last review. Aren't you proud? :p_

Treck: _Harry spanking Draco in the Great Hall would be disturbing both for Harry and the other students, I think._

harryptaxd204: _Stuff it. (runs)_


	42. The Chamber Of Gryffindor?

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Heh, sorry folks, but I'm feeling a bit Douglas Adams-y today. Enjoy!_

Within the office of Albus Dumbledore stands a very nicely crafted mahogany bookcase. Normally, such a thing would not be open to any form of speculation; indeed, since there are four identical units scattered about the office, it would usually earn no more than a cursory glance, if even that.

So it was that Harry and his friends were quite shocked when the bookcase turned out to be not a bookcase at all, but rather a very elaborate multi-function Portkey, dating back to the days of the founder's themselves. Of course Harry knew that Salazar Slytherin had built his own secret places within the castle, the Chamber of Secrets. What he did NOT know was that Godric Gryffindor had done the same.

'The key is the sword,' Dumbledore explained, placing the Sword of Gryffindor into a groove in the side of the bookcase, which glowed momentarily with scarlet light. 'I knew the room was there long before Harry recovered the Sword in the chamber, but had no way to access it.'

'So now it's a meeting place for the Order?' Hermione guessed as the bookcase began to waver. Finally it disappeared entirely, leaving an opaque mass of swirling energy.

'Not quite,' Dumbledore chuckled, then stepped forward and vanished. Harry and his friends shared along glance. Finally Harry shrugged and, with Ron right behind him, stepped through the portal.

He was not at all prepared for what lay on the other side. Dumbledore's use of the word 'room' was very, very loose.

It was actually a massive meeting hall, easily rivalling the size of the Great Hall. The floor was made from what looked like whole squared off trees, and a single table ran the length of the room. The walls were covered with intricate tapestries, depicting some of the wizarding world's greatest battles; Harry recognised many from his History of Magic lessons, which in itself was surprising (he pinned it on Hermione's extensive notes rather than Professor Binn's teaching effectiveness). The roof was made from black marble, shifting in the flickering light from a hundred torches set at regular intervals along the walls.

Sitting at the table, which was easily capable of seating a couple of hundred, were a handful of people. Harry recognised them all as members of the Order.

'What are _they_ doing here?' Snape asked suspiciously as Isabelle, the last to step into the portal, appeared beside Ginny. 'Surely you're not going to actually listen to Milton?'

'As a matter of fact, Severus,' Dumbledore said, 'I do indeed intend to act upon Mr. Milton's suggestion.'

'Albus!' An older woman Harry recognised from Grimmauld Place said in scandalised tones. 'They are all underage!'

'So what?' Ginny cut off Dumbledore's reply. 'We're not as old as you, big deal. Have any of you come face to face with Voldemort and survived?' She pointed at Harry. 'He has, _five times!_ So you don't let him join the Order out of _principal?_' She shook her head. 'Maybe Professor Milton was right about you.'

'Well, _really!_' The woman huffed. 'I was just saying…'

'You all know the Prophecy,' Dumbledore cut in, his piercing gaze locked onto the woman, who was now squirming in her seat like a schoolgirl being scolded. 'Will you knowingly defy it?'

The woman sighed and dropped her gaze. 'Of course not,' she muttered.

'Then it's settled,' Dumbledore clapped his hands together. 'Harry Potter, Ginevra Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Alexander Milton, Cassandra Milton and Isabelle Lestrange…' a few people gasped as the Headmaster said Isabelle's name, but the ex-Slytherin stared stonily at the far wall and refused to acknowledge them, '…will join the Order of the Phoenix this night. Does anyone present object, in light of what has been revealed?' His words were met with silence, although Snape looked like it was taking him a great deal of effort to remain that way. 'One last thing. Every member of the Order carries with them an identifying mark at all times. This is usually something inconspicuous, personal, so as not to garner suspicion. I trust you all have something of this nature with you at the moment?' Seven nods. 'Very well, come forward Harry.'

Harry took a nervous step forward as the Headmaster drew his wand. 'You are entering into a binding magical contract by agreeing to join, Harry,' he said gently. 'Do you confirm before these witnesses that you enter said contract of your own free will?'

'I do,' Harry was surprised by how firm his voice was.

'Then let your motives be made known,' Dumbledore touched the tip of his wand to Harry's forehead. After a brief second the wand tip emitted a brilliant white light so bright that all present had to shield their eyes. When the light faded, Harry found himself staring into Dumbledore's eyes, which looked more alive than Harry had seen them for a long time.

'He is more than fit,' Lupin said, his voice tinged slightly with awe.

'So it would seem,' Dumbledore said, and everyone laughed a little nervously. 'So, Mister Potter, what would you like to use as your identification?'

'This,' Harry said, pulling the medallion Ginny had given him, and later Gryffindor had changed, from under his shirt.

There were several sharp intakes of breath from around the room. 'Where did you get that, Potter?' Snape asked harshly.

'Now is not the time, Severus,' Dumbledore said sternly, touching his wand to the amulet. It glowed a pale gold colour briefly.

'All done!' Dumbledore said, flourishing his wand. 'Miss Weasley, you next please.'

The process was repeated on each student. Ginny's light was almost as bright as Harry's, although it was tinged with pink, and she used a silver ring as her identification. Ron's light was a fiery red with an indigo core, Hermione's a very deep blue, almost lavender, surrounded with yellow.

There was a slight snag when they tested Alex, however. His light was so intensely red that for a moment Harry was sure Dumbledore's wand would catch alight.

'We cannot allow such a one into the Order,' the woman who had spoken before said in a troubled tone. 'He will surely cause trouble.'

Dumbledore raised his hand for silence. 'He joins regardless,' he said flatly. 'Remember the Prophecy, you cannot deny it. He has his purpose, as do we all.'

Cassie's light was a light blue, almost the same shade as her eyes. Finally, Dumbledore tested Isabelle. A mass of green erupted from her forehead, surrounding a black shape that seemed at once to have form and yet remain formless.

Dumbledore blinked. 'Well, that wasn't expected.'

'What?' Isabelle crossed her eyes in an attempt to see. 'All I can see is green, what's wrong with that?'

'I'm sorry Isabelle,' Dumbledore said sternly, 'but it's time to come clean. Abilities such as yours can be of use to the Order.'

Isabelle sighed. 'Fine,' she said resignedly, then turned to face the rest of the room. 'I'm an Animagus,' she said flatly.

'_What?_' Alex stared at her incredulously.

'I'm a born Animagus,' she repeated. 'I don't know why I never told anyone, probably for the same reason your father didn't, Harry.'

'You're not registered?' Harry guessed.

Isabelle nodded. 'When I found out, my father was dead and my mother in Azkaban. Who was there to register me? My aunt was a Muggle.'

Harry was about to ask her about her aunt, as he realised it was the first time Isabelle had let anything slip about her life before Hogwarts, but Ron beat him to the punch. 'What's you other form?'

Isabelle smiled slightly, then spread her arms like wings. She seemed to melt downwards, towards the floor, and in only a second she was no longer human.

The pure black raven launched herself from the floor, flapping her wings gently as she circled the room once, then came to land on Alex's shoulder. He stared at her in astonishment as she cocked her head slightly to gaze into his eyes. Tentatively he raised a hand and stroked her feathered head, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand slightly, making soft cawing noises.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open and Alex jerked his head back with a startled oath. Isabelle launched herself off his shoulder and in a second she stood before them again, smiling impishly.

'You bit me!' Alex exclaimed, holding out his finger. Indeed, a droplet of blood had formed on the end of the offending digit.

Isabelle tossed her head haughtily. 'Serves you right,' she smirked.

Dumbledore cleared his throat pointedly, and everyone jumped, having forgotten where they were after Isabelle's surprise. 'Now that is over with, I believe we should get on with this meeting, hmm?'

'Of course, Headmaster,' Isabelle smiled sweetly, firmly taking Alex's hand and leading him to a seat. Cassie followed, smirking at her brother. Harry and Ginny shared a grin as they took their own seats, with Ron and Hermione next to Harry.

'To business,' Dumbledore leaned his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. 'Remus, would you mind giving us an update on the progress you've made finding alternate accommodations for those displaced during the attacks a few months back?'

'Certainly, Headmaster,' Remus said politely, and launched into a detailed analysis of his efforts. Harry remembered many months ago, standing in his bedroom at Privet Drive, receiving a note from Ron telling him about the attacks, including the one on the Burrow. The very same day that Ginny had come so explosively into the middle of his existence.

'Thankyou, Remus,' Dumbledore said when the werewolf had finished. 'I believe Severus has something to tell us about his work finding a potion to counteract the effects of Dementors?'

Snape nodded, and his face lost a small amount of its usual haughtiness as he spoke. 'As you all know, a standard Cheering Charm or Potion has little to no effect on a Dementor's primary weapon, the ability to suck the happiness out of you. These do not create happiness, rather they amplify any emotions already present. I believe…'

'Get to the point, Snape,' Kingsley Shacklebolt said in his quiet voice. 'I have to be back at the Ministry before six.'

'Very well,' Harry was surprised to see Snape nod in agreement. 'To summarise, I believe that I may be able to synthesise a version of the common Cheering Potion that may work to counteract the effects of nearby Dementors, or at least make it easier to fight.'

'How long?' the elderly witch asked.

Snape shrugged. 'I have no idea. A month? Two? It all depends on how many combinations I have to go through before I find one that works.'

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. 'Excellent work, Severus, thank you. Now, I believe –'

His words were cut off by the abrupt arrival of non other that Charlie Weasley, who seemed to step straight out of the wall.

'Sorry I'm late, Headmaster,' he smiled. 'Norbert saw Hagrid's hut, and apparently recognised it. He couldn't seem to understand why he wouldn't fit in there anymore.' Then he caught sight of Harry and his friends sitting at the table. 'Hey, hang on, what are you lot doing here?'

'Charlie!' Ginny cried, almost throwing herself into his arms. Harry remembered the last time they had seen her older brother clearly, the day they had gone to Diagon Alley, and Charlie had been in St. Mungo's.

'Nice to see you too, Snapdragon!' Charlie enfolded his little sister in a hug. 'I'd still like to know what the bloody hell you're doing here, though.'

'Harry and his friends have joined the order,' Lupin said.

'Against the wishes of some,' Snape muttered.

Charlie let out a low whistle. 'Mum's not going to be happy,' he said. 'You remember what she was like when the twins were trying to join last year.'

'I'll deal with Mum,' Ginny said confidently, releasing her hold on Charlie and stepping back. 'Just leave her to me.'

'Glad you're going to be the one,' muttered Ron, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Hermione.

'Well then,' Dumbledore stood, 'since Norbert has finally arrived, we had best be off before the students begin to panic. Harry, if you and your friends would like to come down with me?'

'Of course, sir.'

'Excellent, meeting dismissed.'

The Order members began to file out of the room, each seeming to vanish into the wall. Snape was the last to leave, and the look he sent Harry's way just before he vanished made Harry doubt his sanity.

The look was filled with near-hatred, true, but curiously intermingled with it was the faintest traces of hope.

_A/N: Everything has its purpose, people. I don't do anything for the hell of it._

_Before you ask, you will find out what the others used for their identification…eventually._

_Review Responses:_

gpotter: _No harm in just guessing. Lots of people said Wormtail, for some peculiar reason. Honestly, do they really think I'm going to kill off two of the main villains in as many chapters?_

Whimsical Firefly: _And a new twist enters…you can start an Alex/Isabelle fan club if you like, but I doubt you'll find many members, for some reason._

sunni07: _Umm…you know, the Aborigines could sue you for calling it Ayers Rock…it's Ularu, now. You HAVE to be American, only American's could not know what the word 'mate' means (it's a friend, by the way). No offence, but: bloody Americans…oh yeah, and my best friend plays inline hockey, so I have much access to hockey sticks._

Merusa: _You know, I think this is the first chapter in ages that has no James. Bugger. As for what's in store for the Dursleys…you'll see…_

Saerry Snape: _Hmm…the expression 'Up shit creek without a paddle' springs to mind for some utterly bizarre reason…_

CreativeQuill: _Friction between Hermione and Cassie? Where on earth did you get THAT idea? Hmm…as to the twins, their relationship will become crystal clear in the last few chapters. Till then…mwahahahaha! Millie says hi, by the way. /WILL YOU STOP CALLING ME THAT RIDICULOUS NAME?!?/ Umm…no._

Larna Mandrea: _Just…back away…very slowly…crazy reviewers…_

Maruada4eva: _End of the year? Close…Christmas will be in about five or six chapter's time, I reckon._

siriusfanatic: _Heh…homework is bad…_

Melindaleo: _Where the hell did the whole 'Virginia' thing come from, anyway? People just assumed, Rowling NEVER said that was her name._

athenakitty: _Possibly, and you'll see. (Now _that's_ cryptic…)_


	43. The Rays

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Once again, a huge apology for the rather long wait, but I've been really busy over the last few weeks. On top of that, I'm posting this while on holiday, so I reckon I'm not doing too badly. Bah, what do you know, on with the chapter!

One more thing, before we start. If any of you haven't yet read Harry Potter and the Power of Truth_ by CreativeQuill, I'd suggest you go do so very soon. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest when I call it my favourite story. Well, maybe equal with _Not Myself_. Bah!_

Harry had thought, back in forth year, that the Hungarian Horntail had been a big dragon. He had been wrong. Norbert was bigger.

They found the massive form of the Norwegian Ridgeback reared up above the very small looking forms of several trainers, who were obviously trying to subdue him. Charlie swore and hurried to help them. A large crowd of students had already gathered to gawk, watched closely by Professor Sprout and James.

'Are you sure this is safe, Professor?' Hermione asked Dumbledore nervously.

'Quite sure, Miss Granger,' the Headmaster replied serenely, gazing at the dragon which, under Charlie's practiced hand, was now settling down. 'Norbert is simply excited to be back at his place of birth. Wouldn't you be?'

'But it's a _dragon_,' Ron said. 'How can it even remember?'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Dragons are among the most intelligent of all Fantastic Beasts,' he said. 'I should imagine you will be having a few lessons on them in Care of Magical Creatures soon enough, if Hagrid's reaction is any indication.'

Looking closer at the scene, Harry realised that Hagrid was standing dangerously close to Norbert, beaming up at the dragon happily, trying to entice it into eating a large carcass of some unidentifiable animal.

'Is he mad?' Ginny asked incredulously.

'Hagrid?' Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling. 'It is, I must admit, entirely possible. Of course, most believe me myself to be mad, so I daresay I am in no position to talk.' He looked speculatively down the hill. 'It would seem Charlie has everything under control here, so I believe I will take my leave. I'd like to see all of you in my office tomorrow night straight after dinner, if you would.' And with that he turned and strode away.

'Come on, lets get closer,' Alex said, tugging on his sister's arm and hurrying towards where Charlie was trying to get Norbert into a huge enclosure that had been magicked up.

'I think I'll pass,' Isabelle said firmly.

'Yeah, we had plenty of Norbert the first time around,' Ron declared. 'Honestly, if I got told off one more time for "frightening" it, I think I would have hit Hagrid.'

Harry, Ginny and Hermione laughed; Isabelle looked at them quizzically. 'Never mind,' Harry said. 'Just something that happened last time.'

'Ah,' Isabelle said delicately, and let the matter drop. 'Well,' she said as they started for the castle, 'I don't know about you four, but I want to find out what those colours were about. They have to mean something, and I'm betting the information is in the Library somewhere.'

'I already know,' Hermione said absently, still watching the dragon over her shoulder.

'Then tell us what they meant!' Ginny said.

Hermione turned to look at her. 'It's not all that important, really, it's a sort of personality test. The colours indicate what sort of person you are, and how you're likely to react in any given situation.'

'You call that "not very important"?' Isabelle asked with one eyebrow raised. 'I'd hate to see what you call "earth-shatteringly important".'

'Alright, I'll tell you,' Hermione said as they climbed the stairs and entered the castle through the main doors. There was a lot of noise coming from the Great Hall where the majority of the students would be eating lunch. 'We need somewhere quiet to talk,' she stated.

'How about the Room of Requirement?' Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. 'It'll do, I suppose.'

They were halfway across the Entrance Hall when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and several students filed out.

'Well well, if it isn't the new heroes of Hogwarts,' Draco Malfoy said with a smirk.

'Sod off, Malfoy,' Ron said, turning to face the new arrivals with his fists clenched.

'Very original, Weasel,' Blaise Zabini rolled his eyes.

'Just leave, Malfoy,' Harry said wearily. 'I'm not in the mood.'

Pansy Parkinson snickered. 'He's not in the mood! Oh no, we'd better leave before we get in trouble from big bad Potty!'

'Come on,' Harry muttered to his friends, and they once again began walking for the marble staircase.

'So, Lestrange,' Malfoy sneered, 'how does it feel to kill your own mother?' Next to Harry Isabelle stiffened and stopped walking. 'Bet it was satisfying, wasn't it? I mean, she _was_ a Death Eater. How did it feel to get revenge for all the time she was –'

Malfoy's sentence was cut off abruptly as a fist took him cleanly in the jaw. He spun once and collapsed to the ground.

'Don't _ever_ speak to her again,' Alex growled, his eyes flashing. Nearby, Cassie stood with her wand on the other Slytherins, her expression grim.

'What is going on here?'

Harry winced as Snape stalked out of the corridor leading to the dungeons, his narrowed eyes taking in the scene. Just exactly how the Potions Master always managed to show up at exactly the wrong moment would always remain a mystery.

'Just teaching Mister Malfoy a lesson in good manners, sir,' Alex said, pointedly turning away from the prone boy.

'I see,' Snape said silkily. 'In that case, detention for you and your sister, and twenty points from Gryffindor.'

Alex shrugged. 'Fine,' he said shortly, striding across the room to join the Gryffindors at the bottom of the stairs with Cassie trailing behind. 'Shall we go?'

Harry nodded, and the group began to climb the stairs. At the rear of the group, Isabelle fell in beside Alex.

'I thought you were going to see the dragon.'

Alex shrugged. 'I had a feeling there were more interesting things happening, and it's not like Norbert's going anywhere. Plenty of time to go look at him later. As in, some time when Hagrid isn't there making cooing noises at it and trying to hand feed it.'

'I can see where that might cause some problems,' Isabelle agreed. They walked in silence for a long moment steadily dropping behind the rest of the group. Finally Isabelle spoke again, her voice quiet. 'Thank you.'

Alex snorted. 'Malfoy's a bloody tosser, and I'm not going to let him push my friends around. Especially not you, you have enough to deal with without him making his snide little comments.'

'Only a friend?' Isabelle asked a little sadly.

Alex stopped walking, a frown creasing his brow as he stared at her. 'I'm not good at this sort of thing,' he said plainly. 'I've never had a girlfriend, and I've never really wanted one, either. After the incident in the forest…' He shrugged. 'I really have no idea what I'm doing,' he added a bit ruefully.

'Well, what do you want?' she asked, closing the distance between them.

'I have no idea,' Alex said, staring down into her eyes. She smiled, and they seemed to light up in a way he was sure defied the laws of nature.

'Well then,' she breathed, leaning closer. 'I suppose I'll have to give you an idea, won't I?'

The sound of someone clearing their throat nearby almost made Alex jump out of his skin. 'Don't _DO _that!' he said in annoyance, turning to face his grinning twin.

'If you two lovebirds haven't forgotten,' she said impishly, 'we were on the way to discuss something important, remember?'

'We remember,' Isabelle said primly, 'now get out of here.'

'Yes ma'am,' Cassie mock-bowed and hurried away, trying to suppress her giggles.

Alex sighed, running one hand through his hair. 'Can we continue this later?' he asked Isabelle.

'If we must,' she said in mock resignation, linking her arm through his and starting down the corridor. 'Later it is.'

They entered the Room of Requirement to find everyone already seated around a replica of the Gryffindor common room.

'What kept you?' Harry asked curiously as they sat. 'Not Malfoy again, was it?'

'Not quite,' Isabelle said with a straight face.

'My brother was about to get a crash course in –'

'Cass!' Alex said warningly. She just grinned at him.

'A crash course in what?' Harry asked, a little confused.

'Never mind,' Isabelle said. 'It's a long story, and we're not here for that, we're here so Gryffindor's resident genius can tell us what those colours meant.'

Hermione turned a bit pink at the compliment. 'Well, like I said, they're a kind of personality test. Dumbledore must use it to weed out any potential traitors, after last time.' None in the room had to ask what she meant.

'So what do the actual colours mean?' Ron demanded impatiently.

'I'm getting to that,' Hermione said. 'Ancient wizard lore states that there are seven 'rays' of energy that govern all things, and that these base energies all have their own traits and corresponding colours. Every living thing is supposedly made up of different combinations of these energies, and the different quantities give us our own personalities.'

'Hang on,' Alex interrupted. 'What do you mean, they give us our personalities?'

'Well, if you have more or less of a certain ray, it will affect your personality in different ways. Like when you're making a potion, if you change the ratio of ingredients you change the properties of the potion. Does that make sense?'

'Only you would use Snape's class as an example for something important,' Ron said.

'It's not just Professor Snape's class, Ron,' Hermione said impatiently. 'It's an important part of wizarding life, and you'd do well to remember that.'

'Guys,' Harry held up a pacifying hand. 'Okay, we get the idea Hermione, everything is made up of these ray things, but what do the colours mean?'

Hermione took a deep breath. 'Okay, like I said, there are seven rays, and each one represents a different quality.'

'We get that,' Ron said, 'just tell us what they mean!'

'I would if you'd stop interrupting,' Hermione said testily.

'Ron, shut up. You were saying, Hermione?' Ginny asked, ignoring Ron's spluttering.

'Thank you Ginny. Ron, close your mouth, you look like a goldfish.' Ron's mouth snapped shut. 'Anyway, as I was saying, each ray has different qualities, and they're represented by colour. Ron, since you're so eager to find out I'll do you first. Your colours were red and indigo, correct?'

'If by indigo you mean really dark blue, then yeah,' Ron said, leaning forward eagerly.

'Well, red is the colour of the first of the seven rays, and it represents Power. Indigo is the sixth, and represents Devotion, which we can probably translate into loyalty.'

'They've got you pegged, mate,' Harry laughed. Ron beamed.

'Yeah, reckon they do at that,' he replied. 'So what do the others mean?'

'Okay, Isabelle, your light was green, yes?' Isabelle nodded, a curious expression on her face. 'Okay, well green has nothing to do with Slytherin in this case, it's actually the colour of the fourth ray, which is Harmony through Conflict.'

'What's _that_ supposed to mean?' Ginny asked.

'I'm not entirely sure,' Hermione admitted. 'But it's the ray of the artist.'

'How do they get art from conflict?' Ron asked in confusion.

'It's not just conflict, Ron,' Cassie pointed out. 'She said Harmony _through_ Conflict.'

'How are you an artist, then?' Alex asked Isabelle. She stuck her tongue out at him.

'It's not just artists,' Hermione interjected. 'It includes anything creative, and also creative thinking. A lot of really inventive people have a lot of fourth ray.'

'Okay, I'm next,' Cassie leaned forward. 'What does light blue mean, oh great dispenser of wisdom?'

'Actually, light blue is the colour of the second ray, which represents the twin forces of Love and Wisdom, with an emphasis on the Love part,' Hermione said with a smile.

'Cool,' Cassie said with a grin.

'Okay, me next,' Alex said. 'Why did everyone freak out when I got dark red?'

Hermione frowned. 'Like I said for Ron, red is the colour of Power, but a really dark red represents the negative aspect, which is usually something like an intense thirst for revenge, or something like that. Without it, your colours would probably have been different.'

'A thirst for revenge I can handle,' Alex said bleakly. 'It's not far from the truth.'

There was silence for a moment, until Harry asked, 'What did your colours mean, Hermione?'

'The blue means more or less the same as Cassie, except with more emphasis on Wisdom,' she said matter-of-factly. 'The yellow is of the third ray, which is Active Intelligence.'

'No arguments there,' Ron muttered, earning a blush from Hermione and a laugh from everyone else.

'Okay, lucky last,' Ginny said. 'What does white represent? Both Harry and I got white, except mine was pink as well.'

Hermione sighed. 'White light isn't actually one of the rays, but rather a balance of all of them. If someone shows up as white under that test, it means they are more than willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect another. They also usually come in pairs.'

Harry swallowed hard. It wasn't really something he wanted to think about too much.

'The pink in Ginny's light would represent Unconditional Love, the ultimate sacrifice,' Hermione finished in a small voice.

Harry caught Ginny's eyes, and was a little startled to find them full of tears. She nodded decisively as if to confirm Hermione's words, however. Harry reached out to grasp her hand, squeezing it tightly.

'Well, on anther note, I'm starved,' Cassie said abruptly after a long moment had passed, rising to her feet and breaking the tension that had built. 'Come on, let's eat before Lunch finishes.'

There was a murmur of agreement, and everyone rose to leave, bar Alex and Isabelle, who ignored everyone else. The room emptied, leaving the couple in a pensive silence.

'Well, that was…enlightening,' Isabelle said eventually. 'I'm beginning to wish I hadn't asked.'

'It's better we know,' Alex said stubbornly. 'Obviously some of the Order wasn't happy about me joining, and I'd rather know why than fumble around in the dark.'

'I suppose,' Isabelle sighed, dropping her head to rest on his shoulder.

'So what do you reckon?' Alex asked finally.

'About what?' Isabelle asked, craning her head so she could look at him.

Alex shrugged slightly. 'Life, the Universe and everything?'

'That cleared things right up,' she said dryly.

Alex smiled. 'Just answer the question.'

She thought a moment. 'I reckon a lot of things, but first and foremost I reckon that it's pretty private in here.'

'You may have a point there,' he agreed.

'Well then, I believe I was promised a 'later' by a certain someone,' she almost purred, climbing around until she was straddling his lap. 'And I believe I have some persuading to do.'

The next hour passed far too quickly, in Alex's opinion.

A/N: Ye Gads, I've wanted to do that to Malfoy for the longest time. It may be concieted to cheer on one's own OC's, but...go Alex! I love Isabelle too, even I have no idea what she's going to do next. Ah, good times.

Review Responses:

Before I start, apologies to everyone who reviewed and doesn't get a mention, but if I answered everyone I'd have a chapter that was shorter than the Review responses. So this is a general thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and told me what they thought. Cheers!

Whimsical Firefly: _There you go, a bit of Alex/Isabelle for you. Happy now? You were close with the whole colour thing, though._

AKA Hummer: _I can't help it if the Aussies are the best. ;)_

C.H.I.C.K: _Death by annoyance? That's a new one…_

gpotter: _Aye, milady, snow it is! Stay tuned…_

siriusblack08: _Snape get his head out of his arse? Is that even possible?_

Alima: _If I told you that, then I'd have to kill you. So I'd really rather not…_

athenakitty: _Let's see…not yet, yes, unlikely, of course, more likely to be flattened, not yet, WHAT THE?!?_

Merusa: _Erm…sorry, no James again. He'll be in the next one, I swear it! Promise!_

jwhit-moony: _Turn one of my OC's evil?!? SACRELIGE! Of course, I do have a few surprises planned…_

Whispyraven: _I'm probably going to get yelled at for saying this, but I did kinda base Alex's appearance on me…but don't tell him I said that (although I don't have long hair anymore, and he does, but meh). There will be a nice little H/G scene soon, so long as my blasted muses co-operate. As to Beta'ing, as much as I'd love to, I'm simply too busy. I barely have enough time to write this, hence the lengthening wait for chapters. Sorry, but I can't really help you there._

Melindaleo: _I have a distinct feeling that Molly's going to blow up rather spectacularly at Dumbles at some point in the not-so-distant future…_


	44. Midnight Wanderings

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: I. Am. BACK!_

Late that night, James strode the corridors of Hogwarts restlessly. He had an odd feeling that something very important was about to happen, but he had no idea what. Like a name that constantly slipped one's memory, the sensation was maddening, banishing any possibility of sleep.

And so he stalked about the massive castle, not really paying attention to where he was. He could have justified what he was doing by saying he was fulfilling his duties as a teacher by patrolling the corridors looking for students out past curfew, but after he'd passed the third couple making out and ignored them completely, his excuse was beginning to run a little thin.

Until, that is, he heard a very familiar voice coming from an empty classroom up ahead. It was only then that he realised he had somehow ended up in the dungeons.

Draco Malfoy's hushed voice sounded almost urgent, and with his curiosity peaked, James muttered an invisibility spell and crept closer to listen.

'You're my cousin!' Malfoy hissed, which gave James a good idea of who he was talking to – and raised a few questions as well. His suspicions were confirmed a second later when Isabelle's voice responded.

'Since when is family so important to you, _Draco_?' she asked scornfully, not bothering to keep her voice down as Malfoy had. 'Besides, I know for a fact that my name was stricken from the Black _and_ Malfoy family lines not long after I was born. So far as I'm concerned, I have no family.'

'Think about what you're giving up,' Malfoy persisted. 'Being associated with Potter is only going to get you hurt, and loathe though I am to admit it, I don't want that to happen.'

Isabelle laughed derisively. 'It's a little late for you to come over all caring now, Malfoy,' she said. 'Besides, I've already told you that I don't think your precious "Dark Lord" has a snowball's chance in Hell of winning this war. I'm not stupid.'

Malfoy hissed softly in annoyance. 'Since when did you start using such _Muggle_ phrases?'

'Dunno,' Isabelle said casually. 'My _boyfriend_ must be wearing off on me.'

There was silence for a moment; James could almost feel Malfoy's glare. He felt a sudden burst of pride for the girl he was beginning to think of as a surrogate daughter.

'That…_person_ will be your undoing,' Malfoy said eventually. 'The Dark Lord does not take defiance lightly. When the time comes, I will not be able to protect you.'

'Haven't we been over this already? I'll take my chances with Harry and Alex, thank you very much.' There was a moment silence. 'Now, if you've finished with the dramatics, I'm leaving. Don't bother having me followed, I was a Slytherin for a long time, I know all the tricks.'

The door to the classroom suddenly creaked open, and Isabelle emerged. Instinctively, even if it wasn't entirely necessary, James leaned back against the wall, enclosing himself in shadow. Isabelle brushed past him and headed down the corridor towards the exit from the dungeons. When Malfoy's platinum head came around the doorframe to watch her leave, James had to fight a very strong urge to strangle the little bugger. Instead he pushed himself away from the wall and followed the ex-Slytherin; she might be confident she could escape the dungeons without Malfoy's interference, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The conversation had been very interesting, though: Malfoy had seemed almost genuine in his concern for his cousin. _Perhaps there _are_ some things important to him besides power_, James mused as he trailed Isabelle out of the dungeons and into the welcome light of the Entrance Hall. It was something to ponder on, at any rate.

As he had hoped she would, Isabelle went straight back to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady gave her a disapproving look as she swung silently open when Isabelle whispered the password. James was about to return to his quarters when the distinctive voice of his son rang out through the open portrait hole.

'So, what did the little bastard have to say this time?'

_This time? That's interesting._ Still under the cover of his spell, James eased through the portrait hole just before the Fat Lady swung shut. At this late hour the common room was deserted and the fire had been allowed to burn down to embers, casting the majority of the room into shadows. Hugging the wall as closely as he could to minimise the chance of his son detecting him, James settled down to listen.

Isabelle had crossed the room to where Alex was waiting on a couch and settled down next to him. James watched with some amusement as his fingers entwined themselves through her raven hair; the thought quickly turned to pain as he remembered doing the same to Andrea's golden locks.

'He's come down with a bad case of family values all of a sudden,' she said disgustedly. 'Honestly, his lies just keep getting worse. It's so obvious what he wants.'

James, who had no clue what Malfoy wanted, hoped his son was as thick as he was. He smiled wryly when Alex asked, 'So what does he want then?'

'He needs an ally close to Harry, dum dum,' Isabelle said playfully, slapping him lightly on the shoulder.

'Oh, so I'm a _dum dum_ now, am I?' Alex asked with one eyebrow raised.

'Absolutely,' Isabelle said with a straight face. 'You are the epitome of dum dum-ness.'

They stared at each other for a second then both started to laugh. James took that as his queue to leave, a decision reinforced when he caught a glimpse of the determined look in Isabelle's eyes as she leaned closer to Alex. By the time he got to the portrait hole, they were both too busy to notice it open a crack and then quietly shut again.

Back in the corridor, James pondered these new findings. It made sense that Malfoy would want someone close to Harry, but something told him it wasn't that simple. He resolved to keep an eye on the situation until new information came to light. Perhaps there was something there that could be used against the heir to the Malfoy family; time would tell.

* * *

The following evening found the seven Gryffindors sitting in Dumbledore's office. After the customary offering of lemon drops, the Headmaster sat back and surveyed them over the top of his half moon glasses.

'I know you all have many questions,' he began, looking at each student in turn, 'and I shall endeavour to answer as many as I can. Know, however, that there are limits to what I can tell you, even now.' His piercing gaze fell on Harry. 'You have a question, Mister Potter?'

'Yeah, I do.' There was something that had been troubling Harry for quite a while now, but he'd never thought to bring it up. 'Why haven't my Occlumency lessons started again?'

Dumbledore's beard twitched slightly as he smiled. 'An excellent question, Harry, although I'm a little surprised you didn't ask sooner. Over the summer holidays I did some research into the nature of curse scars, and although my findings were somewhat disturbing, they also shed some light onto the matter. The link you share with Voldemort, by it's very nature, makes Occlumency not only redundant, but actually moderately dangerous.'

'Dangerous?' Hermione looked startled. 'How is it dangerous, Professor?'

'Occlumency is designed to stop an external force from accessing one's mind,' Dumbledore said. 'However, the link means that Voldemort is not trying to access your thoughts and memories from outside, but rather from the inside – he's using the back door to slip by unnoticed, so to speak. The only way to stop such access is through sheer force of will, and concentrating on Occlumency could be a fatal distraction at a critical time.'

'I felt that,' Harry remembered when, after his lessons with Snape, his mind had always seemed more open than ever. 'I thought it was just Snape or something.'

'_Professor_ Snape, Harry,' Dumbledore corrected gently. 'What you felt was a lapse in your mental power. I'd imagine you would have felt something similar when especially tired and run down?'

'I always just put it down to exhaustion, or something.'

Dumbledore nodded gravely. 'That is indeed the danger.'

'Don't worry, Professor,' Ginny said, 'I'll make sure he gets plenty of rest.' She entwined her fingers with Harry's and looked at him sternly.

'Very good, Miss Weasley,' Dumbledore said with a slight smile.

'I have a question, Professor,' Isabelle said suddenly. 'Why doesn't Professor McGonagall like me? Is it just my name?'

The Headmaster's smile vanished, and he sat back heavily. 'There is much you don't know about the faculty here at Hogwarts,' he said. 'Suffice to say that your mother was responsible for a personal tragedy in Minerva's family. She does not blame you, as such, but I believe you jog certain unpleasant memories with your presence. Perhaps that might explain it.'

'Yeah, well, I'm just glad my bitch of a mother won't be causing any more problems – ever,' Isabelle said darkly. Dumbledore looked at her steadily, but said nothing.

'Umm…Professor?' Ron nervously broke the silence. 'Have you told our mum about us being in the Order?' He indicated himself and Ginny.

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Indeed I have not informed Molly as of yet, Mister Weasley. I had thought it might sound better coming from one of you rather than me.'

'You don't know mum very well then,' Ginny muttered.

The Headmaster smiled at her. 'If you wish for me to tell Molly, then I will at the next Order meeting at Grimmauld Place. Which, of course, brings me to my next point.' Dumbledore gazed at them almost serenely. 'Every three weeks you will be required to attend a meeting here in my office, along with the other Order members at Hogwarts. Myself or Professor McGonagall will let you know in advance when each meeting will take place, understood?' Everyone nodded. 'Excellent, now I believe you had all best be off to bed before Mister Filch catches you wandering the corridors after curfew.'

The seven students stood and began to file out of the office. Isabelle hung back a bit, waiting until everyone had disappeared down the stairs before speaking directly to the Headmaster.

'Thanks, Professor. For letting me be involved,' she said, catching his eyes and nodding once. Before he could reply, the door was closing after her.

'You are very welcome, Miss Lestrange,' Dumbledore murmured. 'Very welcome indeed.'

_A/N: Only a short one, but I'll have another update in the next few days. Really. I mean it. Honest!_

_Review Responses:_

GinnyPotter4eva: _You may have a point there…_

LilliannaRose: _Stop threatening to kill yourself, the next one won't be far off. Savvy?_

Wren Truesong: _One does one's best._

Whispyraven: _Out of all my OC's, Isabelle is by far the most fun to write. Well, tied with James at any rate. Cassie…well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?_

Dree: _Bloody hell, not you again! ;) Kidding, I was actually wondering where you'd got to. I've missed your reviews._

Merusa: _Plenty of James, although no powerful striding. Meh, maybe next chapter. By the by, if you love James so much, go read _Sirius' Choice_ by Whimsical Firefly. She's a friend of mine, so I let her borrow him – you get to see James during the first Voldie war. Fun times! Besides, it's a good story._

gpotter: _Stop being to bloody insightful! Grr…I have to change the whole storyline now. Cheers. ;) Just kidding. No, Malfoy is, as Alex so eloquently put it, a bastard._

Ted M. Hammett: _Oh ye of little faith. The story is very much H/G, done in a very believable way. Trust me, it's worth the read._

CurlsofSerenity: _I think I can take that as a compliment…_

athenakitty: _Wait and see; not the twins, Harry and Ginny…_

CreativeQuill: _Gets off her kettle? How…odd. Notice your other saying that finally found it's way into the story? HGttG rules._

siriusfanatic: _The whole Harry/Ginny thing is tied into the Prophecy, that was mentioned a few times before. I'm 19, by the way._

Joshua: _Come again? Amateurish and stupid? Sorry mate, but that was planned from the very start. If you don't like it, don't read it –it's not going to play that big a role anyway._

PomegranateQueen: _It's novel that I'm an Aussie? Righto then, if you say so. Seeing as Australia is still technically a British colony, and my ancestry is almost exclusively British, I should hope I have a good grasp of their language. It drives me up the wall when I read a HP fic that refers to 'Elementary School' and other Americanisms. I mean, for crying out loud…_

Dysfuntional Punkrocker: _Skateboarding is a sport now?_

ethan is a punk rocker: _You have to be an American. Sorry mate, but that's how we spell things down here, and since it's American that is the bastardised version of English, it's actually you lot that spell it wrong. But whatever.___


	45. Dreams and Dragon Tamers

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

Dedication: This chapter, and the rest of the story, is dedicated to Whimsical Firefly, because she's the only reason I'm still writing it, even if she's not completely aware of the fact. Now everyone go thank her by reading (and reviewing) her story _Sirius' Choice_, beta'ed by Yours Truly and correlating with Mind Mage.

_The Forbidden Forest shot past beneath him; through the thick greenery he caught flashes of the odd creatures that lived within. Most notably were a group of centaurs, which stopped and watched him as he passed._

_Then he was somewhere else, a small village he had never seen before. A complete lack of movement and lights gave it the feel of being abandoned. He flashed through the streets so fast the buildings were a blur, until with a jarring suddenness he stopped in front of a rundown warehouse. Just as suddenly, he was inside._

_The cavernous interior was devoid of furnishing, filled only with deep shadows. A massive pentagram was etched into the stone floor, and candles floated at each of the five points. Seated in the centre, snakelike head bowed and eyes closed in concentration, was Lord Voldemort._

_Suddenly he looked up, and his eyes flashed open. He hissed in annoyance, and a moment later a figure scurried out of the shadows near the wall._

_'Master?' the figure said hesitantly. As he moved closer, the candlelight reflected off his silver hand._

_'It is no good,' Voldemort said, turning his hate filled eyes on his servant. 'Dumbledore must suspect. We shall have to find another route.'_

_'As you say, Master,' Wormtail bowed his head._

_'Of course it is as I say, fool,' Voldemort sneered. Wormtail flinched, dropping to his knees._

_'Run, Potter,' Voldemort said without turning away from his cowering servant. 'Return to the old fool you place so much faith in. But know this, you cannot remain within the wards of Hogwarts forever – and when you finally emerge, I will be there waiting to greet you.' He smiled cruelly. 'Give my regards to the lovely Miss Weasley, would you? Tell her I'm so looking forward to our next meeting.'_

_'Now,' Voldemort raised his wand. 'I think you need a lesson in faith. _Crucio!

_Wormtail screamed. And, for the first time in many months, Harry sat bolt upright in bed and did the same._

'Neville, get off me…Harry!'

The curtains around Harry's bed were thrown open, and he found himself looking into the concerned eyes of Ron. Neville stood just behind, hanging onto Ron's arm for dear life. Seamus and Dean were both sitting up in bed, watching him curiously, and Alex was nowhere to be seen. Padfoot was sitting on the end of Harry's bed, watching him carefully.

Harry gulped in a deep breath to steady himself. His scar was throbbing painfully, but it was bearable.

'Another vision?' Ron asked quietly as Seamus and Dean made themselves scarce. 'I thought they were supposed to stop with…you know, you and Ginny.'

'I dunno,' Harry replied truthfully. 'This is the first I've had since we got back to Hogwarts, I don't…'

The rest of his sentence was cut off as the door was flung violently open and Ginny rushed in.

'Ron, Neville, out. Now,' she commanded, pointing imperiously at the door. Neville complied, slipping past her and out the door, but Ron stood his ground.

'Hang on, what right do you have to –'

'Ron, get the hell out of here before I hex you into next week,' Ginny glared threateningly at her brother.

'Just go, Ron,' Harry said when he again opened his mouth to retort. 'I'll meet you in the Common Room in a bit, okay?'

'Yeah, right,' Ron said reluctantly. 'See you then, I guess.' He frowned at Ginny as he left the room, followed by Padfoot. Ginny closed the door behind him.

'What's so important?' Harry asked, swinging his legs out of bed and sitting on the edge.

'What, aside from the fact that I know you just dreamed about Voldemort, and I dreamed it too? Not much,' Ginny said sarcastically.

'You…you saw it too?' Harry faltered. He had been hoping to shield her from it, especially the implicit threat in Voldemort's 'greetings' to her.

Ginny nodded. 'Apparently this bond we share is stronger than we'd thought.'

Harry let out an explosive breath as Ginny crossed the room to sit beside him on the bed. 'He's getting stronger,' he said quietly.

'I know,' Ginny said just as softly. 'I could feel it, too.'

Harry sighed in frustration. 'I thought we were supposed to be past this,' he said, wincing as his scar throbbed painfully.

Ginny looked at him speculatively. 'Professor Milton said that the thing blocking Tom was our relationship,' she mused. 'I wonder…' She trailed off, her eyes sparkling, then leaned in and kissed Harry. He was a little surprised, but quickly began to reciprocate, and as he did so he noticed the pain in his scar vanishing.

Finally Ginny pulled away, and one look at Harry's face confirmed her suspicions. 'Well, that answers that, then,' she said, walking to the table under the window and pouring a glassful of water.

'Answers what?' Harry asked as she returned and handed him the glass.

'Physical closeness can drive Him away,' she said matter-of-factly. She thought for a moment, as Harry raised the glass to his lips. 'I wonder if Dumbledore would let us have a private room?'

Harry, who had just started to drink, went into an extended coughing fit. Stifling her laughter, Ginny thumped him on the back until it subsided.

'Give us a _what_?' Harry croaked finally.

'A private room, silly,' Ginny grasped his hand firmly within her own. 'What, did you really think that after last night I'd let you out of my sight again? Oh no, Mister Potter, you're stuck with me. I'm not going to let Moldiwart have his way with you every night for the sake of a few school rules. If Dumbledore won't give us a room, then we'll just have to sleep in the common room, or I can sleep up here.'

Harry almost chocked again on _that_ suggestion.

She touched his forehead gently, running the fingers of her free hand lightly around his scar.

'Your scar's bleeding,' she noted, showing him her fingers, which were spotted with blood.

'Yeah, it's done that before,' Harry, glad for the change in subject, reached up to touch it himself. 'It's not too bad, it'll stop soon.'

'Oh, Harry,' Ginny sighed, snuggling up against him. 'Why does it always have to be you?'

Harry laughed hollowly. 'Dunno, go ask Trelawney, she's the one that made the Prophesy in the first place.'

'Trelawney made it?' Ginny asked incredulously. 'That old fraud?'

'Yeah, at her job interview.' Harry had to smile at the look on Ginny's face. 'Long story – I'll tell you about it some time. But right now we'd better get moving before Ron has a fit.'

Ginny giggled. 'Nah, he's got Hermione to distract him, he's probably already forgotten about us.'

Harry chuckled. 'Still, best not to risk it,' he said. 'Go on down, I'll get dressed and meet you down there.'

Ginny nodded, kissing him briefly before she left. Harry quickly dressed, making sure his scar had stopped bleeding and wiping away the blood with a handkerchief, then hurried down to the common room.

He found Ron and Ginny waiting for him, both trying not to laugh as they stared at the fire. Curious as to what was so funny, Harry crept over to the lounges in front of the fireplace, and when he got there he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

Alex and Isabelle were curled up together on the lounge, both looking rather rumpled. The latter had her head resting in the crook of the former's arm, which was wrapped protectively around her, and they both wore rather contented smiles in their sleep.

A bright flash drew Harry's attention to Cassie, who was holding a camera. 'Good blackmail material,' she grinned at Harry, indicating the camera as she took another shot of the couple on the couch.

'I guess this makes them official, then,' Ginny whispered in Harry's ear. He jumped slightly; he hadn't noticed her come up behind him.

'Yeah, I reckon so,' he smiled over his shoulder at her.

'Come on, let's give them some privacy,' she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the portrait hole. The last thing Harry heard before he left the common room was a loud crash and Alex's voice swearing sulphurously.

In many ways, Hogwarts never ceased to surprise Harry. The faculty and students took recent events into their stride remarkably well, adjusting accordingly, and soon the attack on the school was old news, as was the arrival of Norbert. Indeed, it was difficult to believe that the school had ever been without a dragon protector, with the blasé way the student body referred to him.

'It's a bloody nightmare,' Charlie told Harry, Ginny and Ron that evening at dinner. He had joined them at the Gryffindor table, as opposed to his usual seat next to Hagrid at the Head table. Hermione and Cassie were in the library, and no one knew exactly where Alex and Isabelle were.

'There's Hagrid, for one,' Charlie continued, glancing towards the Head table where Hagrid was deep in conversation with Professor Sprout, leaning down so his head was nearly touching the tabletop so he could hear her over the noise in the Hall. 'He's convinced that Norbert's his "little darling", and of course he'd remember his "mummy".' Charlie shook his head as Harry, Ginny and Ron tried not to laugh. 'Honestly, I think he's gone totally mad, the way he carries on. 'Course, he wasn't too sane to begin with.'

Harry and Ron shared a wry look. They both remembered how many times Hagrid's obsession with vicious monsters had very nearly gotten them killed.

'Still,' Charlie went on, 'with Norbert here, I don't think the castle is in too much danger. Between him and the wards, I reckon we could hold off anything short of You-Know-Who himself, but that's what we've got Dumbledore for, I suppose.'

'Yeah,' Harry said cautiously. 'I suppose.'

Charlie looked at him piercingly. 'All right, out with it Harry. What aren't you telling me?'

Harry winced inwardly; evidently, Charlie was a little more perceptive than he looked. Ron and Ginny looked at Harry, waiting for him to decide how much to tell their older brother.

Finally Harry sighed. 'It's complicated,' was all he said.

Charlie cocked his head to the side. 'Complicated how?' Seeing the look on Harry's face he added, 'If you don't want to tell me, then don't. But since I'm going to be fairly crucial in the defence of Hogwarts should there be another attack, don't you think it might be prudent for me to know?'

'He's got a point, Harry,' Ginny said softly. 'You can trust Charlie.'

'That's not what I'm worried about,' Harry replied. He glanced briefly around the Hall, wondering for just a moment what it would be like to be one of them, with no cares aside from what mark they would get on next week's Transfiguration essay. He pulled himself up short; the attack on Hogwarts had proved once and for all that none of them were safe, and if he didn't do anything about it, they probably never would be.

'All right,' he said finally. 'But not here, somewhere private.'

'Room of Requirement?' Ron suggested. Harry nodded shortly, and the four stood and made their way from the Hall.

In the Entrance Hall, Charlie tapped Harry on the shoulder to slow him down. Ron and Ginny continued up the stairs, not noticing as Harry and Charlie fell further behind.

'Harry, I just wanted to say thanks for trusting me on this,' Charlie said in a low voice. 'I know it can't be easy for you, but I'm willing to help you in any way I can. We all are, you know – you're a part of the family, and if I'm reading things right between you and my baby sister, it might be more than just symbolic soon enough.' Harry blushed brightly, glancing down the corridor at the back of Ginny's head, and mumbled something incoherent. Charlie grinned at him, then his expression turned serious. 'Listen, I know Ron's probably already been through this with you, but if you hurt her, you will have a very long line of Weasley men waiting to do some very unpleasant things to you. Understood?'

'Of course,' Harry replied when he found his voice again. 'I'd never hurt her.'

'Good,' Charlie clapped him on the shoulder. 'I'll be the first to welcome you to the family then. Officially, that is,' he winked, and then strode off down the corridor after his siblings, leaving Harry to follow bemusedly.

'Right,' Charlie said briskly when they were settled in the Room of Requirement. 'What's this big secret then?'

Harry and Ron exchanged a long look. 'You remember last year, at the Department of Mysteries?'

'Well, I wasn't actually there, but it's not the sort of thing I'm going to forget in a hurry.'

'Well, it's about the Prophecy…'

_A/N: I've decided I like Charlie enough to give him a bigger role in the story. So nya._

_Review Responses:_

Whispyraven: _Contest? I'm intrigued, do tell! As for you character analysis, all I can say is GET THE BUGGERING HELL OUT OF MY HEAD! ;)_

MsMissProngs: _I didn't know you lived in Australia… ;p_

RyougaZell: _Cheers! RE: the death thing, there may be a few more character deaths before I'm through here…_

Dark-PhoenixX1988: _Meep! One update, coming up!_

bogus7: _Sorry, I do tend to get too caught up in my OC's. I'll try to put more of Rowling's characters in. After all, wouldn't have a story at all without them…_

Marauder4eva: _The holidays are an interesting question. We have a six week holiday as well, but as far as I can gather, Hogwarts has a three month holiday – I think from the start of June to the end of August. I could be wrong, of course, but I think Hogwarts finishes in May – if anyone actually knows the dates, please tell me and save me from making an idiot of myself!_

katepotter13: _Why is it that no one seems to get that reference? It refers to the second movie, when Harry uses Floo for the first time, and Mr and Mrs Weasley have a short discussion afterwards where they think he said "Diagonilly" instead of "Diagon Alley"._

Evansk: _Of course they're real words! Besides, it's not Americans I dislike, it's _America_. Big difference. Since I wouldn't have a story without Jamesie, it's nice to know he's coming across as a real person._

Merusa: _Hope your computer screen has stopped it's flickering. If you want powerful James, you'll LOVE the final battle…of course, you may want to kill me afterwards. Mwahahahaha!_

Frostedflake: _Indeed it is, my friend, and you're the first person to catch the reference._

Mistress-Genari: _Who said I actually wrote them? (queue dramatic music)_

Elise: _That's an interesting question, actually I haven't thought about that. Hmm…_

brilliant-author16: _The problem with that is I suck at writing R/H stuff. I can do H/G alright, but Ron's too spontaneous and Herm to not-spontaneous. That probably made no sense, but oh well, you get the idea._

GinnyPotter4eva: _Longer, includes H/G…better? No kidnapping required!_

Zesuit: _Now that would be telling. Rest assured, it's coming, although probably not until the seventh book._


	46. Revelations

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

Charlie sat heavily back in his chair, his forehead creased in thought.

'That explains a lot,' he said finally.

'Understatement of the century,' Ginny muttered.

Charlie chuckled. 'Sorry, that didn't come out quite right. Dumbledore told us the first part of the Prophecy, but I always had a feeling he'd kept something important out. Now that I know what he left out, I realise "important" doesn't even begin to cover it.' He paused, looking directly at Harry. 'Does You-Know-Who know about this?'

'We don't think so,' Harry told him. 'The whole point of the Department of Mysteries last year was for Voldemort to get his hands on the original recording, and he wouldn't have bothered if he already knew the whole thing.'

'Makes sense,' Charlie mused. He raised his voice slightly. 'What do you think, Tonks?'

There was a moment of silence, then Tonks rather ruefully pulled her Invisibility Cloak off. 'I really wish you lot would stop doing that,' she scolded, taking a seat next to Charlie.

'Why do you even bother anymore?' Charlie asked her curiously. 'We all know you're here, why not just disguise yourself and be around all the time?'

Tonks made a face. 'Moody's orders, you know how paranoid he is.' She grimaced, and then did a very good imitation of Moody's voice, 'Constant Vigilance! You never know when a Death Eater might be lurking in your underwear drawer, just waiting to strike!'

That earned a laugh from all present, and when everyone quietened down again, Charlie spoke again to Tonks. 'You haven't answered my question, what do you think?'

'To tell you the truth, I've known the whole thing for quite some time,' she said.

'And you didn't tell me? I'm crushed,' Charlie put a hand over his heart in a dramatic pose.

'It was part of the whole "bodyguard" thing,' Tonks continued, ignoring Charlie's theatrics. 'I guess Dumbledore wanted me to know what I was getting myself into.'

Harry made a face at the word bodyguard. 'You know, I really don't need any protection when I'm in Hogwarts, maybe you could –'

'Not a chance,' Tonks said crisply. 'You're too important to risk, you know that.' Her tone softened at Harry's deflated look. 'I'm sorry, Harry, but that's just how it is. I didn't make the rules, and neither did you, but we both have to play by them.'

'Yeah, I know,' Harry said heavily.

'But it doesn't make it any easier,' Charlie finished, fixing Harry with a peculiar look.

They sat in silence for a long moment, all lost in their own thoughts.

'So what now?' Ron said eventually.

'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone,' Charlie said, glancing at Tonks.

'Harry?' A familiar voice sounded out in the corridor. 'You in there?'

'Yeah, Isabelle,' Harry called back. 'Come on in.'

The door opened slightly, and Isabelle's head appeared through the gap.

'I was wondering where you'd wandered off to,' she said, entering the room and taking a seat. 'By the time I got to dinner you'd left already.' She regarded Charlie curiously. 'Who's this?'

'My brother, Charlie,' Ginny explained.

'And you are?' Charlie looked at Isabelle enquiringly.

'Isabelle Lestrange,' the ex-Slytherin said calmly.

Charlie looked at her steadily. A palpable tenseness filled the room as everyone waited for his response. 'So you're the one,' he said eventually.

'Yes, I'm the one who killed my bitch of a mother during the battle,' Isabelle said wearily. 'Happy now?'

'Well, I was going to say that you were the one who took out one of the most dangerous Death Eaters in You-Know-Who's service, but that'll do too,' Charlie said with a small smile. Isabelle smiled a little guiltily.

'Sorry,' she apologised. 'It's just that I've been getting that bloody reaction from everyone since…well, you know.'

'Well, this is a cheery conversation,' Tonks remarked after a long silence.

'Really? I thought it was a bit depressing, really,' Charlie said with a straight face. Tonks rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

'Well, I actually came here to remind you that curfew is in about ten minutes,' Isabelle told Harry, Ron and Ginny. 'If you don't want to be lynched by Filch, I'd suggest getting back to the common room.'

Harry started slightly. Had they really been talking that long?

'Yeah, righto,' Ron nodded. 'Come on, you lot, we'd best get back.'

They all stood. 'I have to get back to the pen, anyway,' Charlie said as they headed for the door. 'Every night Hagrid tries to sneak in to see Norbert, he's been driving everyone crazy. I'll see you all later,' he waved and headed of in the opposite direction to the common room, back towards the lower levels.

'Straight back to the common room, Mister Potter,' Tonks said sternly. 'No deviating into any broom closets this time, if you please.'

'Tonks!' Ron gave an anguished cry as Harry and Ginny turned matching shades of crimson. 'That's my sister!'

'Funny I never noticed that,' the Metamorphmagus said with an impish grin, then disappeared under her Invisibility cloak.

* * *

James strode down the corridor, his black robes swirling around him dramatically, wearing an intimidating expression that would have made Snape jealous. The second year Hufflepuff squeaked slightly, backing away, then abruptly turned and bolted, narrowly avoiding a head first collision with a suit of armour in his haste to escape.

'Having fun?'

James grinned at his daughter as she emerged from the Transfiguration classroom, a small smile playing about her lips.

'Absolutely,' he affirmed. 'I do have a reputation to maintain, after all,' he said loftily, seeing her amused expression.

'I'll bet,' she chuckled, falling into step beside him and entwining her arm with his. 'You've got everyone under fourth year cowed, and everyone above respects you more than McGonagall. That's quite an accomplishment.'

James shrugged. 'Anything to annoy Snape. He's been bitter ever since I surpassed him as most feared Professor with the lower year levels.'

Cassie giggled, leaning her head on her father's shoulder as they walked on in silence. They had almost reached James' office when Cassie broke the silence. 'Dad?'

'Mmm?'

'How…' she hesitated. She knew the question would be hard for him to answer, but she also knew she had to get him talking. It wouldn't do him any good for him to keep stewing like he was. 'How did you and Mum meet? You've never told me.' She held her breath, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

James was silent for a long moment as he unlocked the office door with a wave of his hand and led her inside. She was beginning to worry as he took a seat beside the fireplace, igniting it with a glance. She sat on the chair opposite him, awaiting the imminent explosion.

His shoulders started to shake, and for a moment Cassie thought he was crying. But then he raised his head to look at her, and she saw he was actually trying hard not to laugh.

'How did I meet Andrea?' he asked, his eyes bright with glee. 'Actually, she knocked me unconscious with a vase, as I recall.'

Cassie blinked; that wasn't quite what she'd been expecting.

'She was a real little firebrand back then,' James said with relish, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. 'I was on one of my jobs for Lord Dickless, which involved me murdering her Aunt and Uncle. She was a little put out with me for that, as I recall.'

'I thought you'd stopped working for Voldemort when you met her,' Cassie said, brow creasing in confusion.

'Not really,' James settled more comfortably into his chair. 'Actually, it was the other way around – I left Voldemort's service _because_ of your mother.' He smiled wistfully. 'The silly twit sent Death Eaters after us when she went into hiding for being blamed for the murders. I'm still not entirely sure why I did it, but when they came I defended her. We stayed together after that, although I think initially it was more of a lack of anywhere else to go on her part, because she was still wanted for those murders. Eventually we made our way to Australia, and the rest, as they say, is history.'

'So you fell in love?' Cassie asked softly. 'How did that happen, after a meeting like that?'

'No idea,' James shook his head. 'She was the first and only woman I've ever loved, and at the time I didn't even know I was capable of it. After a while with Andrea, it seemed so…natural. She was the first person that wasn't scared of me for my abilities, although that was partly because she was Muggle.'

'It all sounds like one of those bad movies,' Cassie said, making a face. 'You know the ones, where the abducted falls for the abductor?'

James chuckled. 'Something like that.' He gazed pensively into the flickering light of the fire. 'I don't expect to be around much longer, Cass,' he said seriously. 'And to tell you the honest truth, I really don't want to be. If not for you and your brother, I would have already confronted Voldemort and probably died trying to take him down.'

'You don't have to do that,' Cassie said gently, a little shocked by his candid revelation. 'Why would you do such a thing?'

James lifted his eyes and caught the matching set in his daughter's face. 'Do you have any idea how old I am, Cass?'

Cassie frowned; it was something she'd never really thought to ask.

'If I asked you who was the oldest person in the castle, you'd say Dumbledore, right?' he continued. 'Well, you'd be wrong. I was born three years before he was.'

Cassie stared at him in total shock – she'd known he was older than your average wizard, but to be _that_ old and still look no older than twenty-five…

'We don't age as other wizards do,' James said quietly. 'Mind Mages, that is. The last one recorded in Britain lived to be six hundred and fifty or so, and even then he was killed in a duel. I've seen more than my fair share of battles over my life, and I'm really getting sick of fighting.' He smiled ruefully. 'Besides, in that time I've duelled Dumbledore four times. I think that's aged me more than anything else.'

'But…you…' Cassie started, but trailed off, unable to articulate the thought and emotions fighting within her for supremacy.

James stood, crossed the room, and enfolded her in a hug. 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere just yet,' he said quietly. She clung to him fiercely, as if afraid he would simply vanish in a puff of smoke. 'While you and Alex have need of me, I'll be here for you. Understand?' A barely discernable nod, followed shortly by a quiet sob; James tightened his grip and Cassie did the same. He knew full well that it would be difficult for her and her twin, but they both had to prepare for the distinct possibility that he would not be around much longer.

He pulled away from her reluctantly. 'Chin up,' he said firmly, and she lifted her head to meet his gaze. 'I'm not going anywhere until I choose to, but you still have to be prepared.' James shook his head as he sank back into his chair. 'I never thought I'd get an opportunity to atone for everything I've done in the past, and to be frank, I never expected to _want_ one. But here, at Hogwarts, I can make a difference. It's what Andrea would have wanted.' He smiled sadly. 'She was prime Gryffindor material, really. There was no way she could have been anything else. I always thought it was a shame she'd been born a Muggle, she would have made a very impressive witch.'

James glanced at his watch, raising one eyebrow. 'How does it get to be so late without me noticing?' he sighed, rising to his feet once again. 'Come on Cass, we need to get you back to your common room before McGonagall has a fit.'

Cassie giggled, and they left the office in comfortable silence. It was only when they reached the seventh floor landing, and James turned to head back downstairs, that Cassie finally spoke up.

'Were you in Gryffindor, Dad?' she asked. 'When you were at Hogwarts, I mean?'

James turned back to her, a small smile on his face. 'Nope,' he chuckled. 'Gryffindor was Dumbledore's territory.'

'So what House were you in then? Slytherin?'

James raised one eyebrow at his daughter. 'You do realise there are more than two houses in this school, don't you?'

Cassie pressed her hands to her cheeks in mock horror. 'Not Hufflepuff! Anything but that!'

James grinned, remembering the Hufflepuff he'd been terrifying earlier. 'Is that so hard to believe?' he asked, smirking as his daughter's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Stop panicking, I was in Ravenclaw.'

Cassie sighed in relief, placing one hand over her heart theatrically. 'Thank goodness, I almost thought my father was a badger for a moment there.'

James winked at her and, chuckling merrily, he started down the stairs, his mood infinitely lighter than it had been a few moments ago.

_A/N: Thanks to CQ for giving me the inspiration for getting this chapter finished. Much appreciated, my friend!_

_Oh yes, if you'd like to read about the 'vase' incident, I suggest you go read Sirius' Choice by Whimsical Firefly. She's written the scene marvellously._

_Review Responses: (I went a little overboard again…)_

gpotter: _Trust you to be in it only for the fluff…: )_

shotgunn: _Too slow, mate. I do find it amusing that we were reading at exactly the same time, though – if you look, our reviews are staggered. I still can't believe someone ousted me out of number 100…although I still hold the position of her very first reviewer. So nya. ; )_

Virginia: _Nice to know I rated as your first review. Hope you continue to enjoy the story! I have a few surprises planned…_

KirbyChirby: _Another Sydneysider, hmm? I was born near Katoomba, actually. As to James…no comment._

Picky: _Already read that one, and it's on my favourite's list. Thanks anyway._

Tyco: Not Myself_ is in my favourites, if you're really keen. I'd put the link in here, but ff .net will just remove it. Brilliant story. America, doing good? Umm…no comment, mate._

sunni07: _As I keep saying, I have nothing against Americans, I'm just not too fond of America. Sorry to offend. I'm not too fond of England either, to tell you the truth…_

Reviewer formerly known as Al: _Favourite Fanfiction award? Wow, I'm honoured! I reckon I could recommend quite a few fics that put my efforts to shame, though._

delicate bread and butterfly: _Wow, that's some good praise you have going there. If you love the twins, just wait for the end of the school year…and no, I'm not telling you what's going to happen to them. I too have noticed the assorted drivel that passes for Fanfiction these days, hence the creation of my C2 Community to find something actually worth reading, for once (we've been at it for over a month, and only found seven worthy stories – go figure). Actually, if you're up to the challenge, we're always on the lookout for new staff members. E-mail me if you're interested. Now, to answer your questions:_

_1. __Remus is otherwise occupied. More on that in later chapters._

_2. __Harry isn't really rude anymore, although he was in the beginning. Come on, wouldn't you be pissed too?_

_3. __Weasley Christmas. That's all I'm saying._

_4. __No, because I said so. :) I seriously doubt she'd get in much trouble for killing a known Death Eater, especially since she was protecting someone. The self defence plea will go a long way with so many witnesses._

Dree: _Who needs spell check when I have you? :p He was…erm…stuffed chock full. Yes, that's it. So nya._

litterallysuffucated: _Not to worry, Hagrid will be coming into the fic more in the next few chapters. I think._

Ice Maiden: _I reckon Charlie is my favourite Weasley, and it's always irked me that he never gets a big enough role. I plan to remedy that._

MsMissProngs: _(looks innocent) What'd I say? ;p_

Evansk: _Yeah, harry and co are in Sixth year. Wouldn't be much of a sixth year fic if he wasn't, hmm? Don't worry, Volde isn't going anywhere…yet. A seventh year fic is definitely in the works, but only time will tell. As to the President question, I reckon you should just shoot them both and have done with it!_

David305: _Much appreciated, my friend. Yes, we still say that – just not very often. Hmm…I really need to use 'Okka' words more often. I may just have to slip a few into the story…_

jwhit-moony: _Yeah, I have the rest of the story planned, but I still have no clue how long it will end up. Blame my blasted muses for that._

Merusa: _Stop fishing for hints, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? Dunno about the name, I personally can't think up any Acronyms for James, but you're welcome to try if you're really THAT enthusiastic…_

Whispyraven: _Not to prod, but are you going to send me that contest entry thing? I'd love to see it. I'm bringing Cassie more into the story, as you can see from this chapter. Bring on the character analysis, I'm ready. Erm…I think. Just don't give TOO many things away…_

Melindaleo: _Neither can I, to tell you the truth. You'll find out about Ginny's 'solution' in the next chapter. My, this is going to be SO much fun to write._

Rin: _Erm…whoops?_


	47. Change

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Big news this chapter…I HAVE A BETA!! WOOT! Many, many thanks to Creative Quill. Hopefully she can plug all the bigger plot holes that keep cropping up (you lot might not notice them, but I do – and wince). If you haven't read her fics yet, why the bloody hell are you wasting time on my crap? Go read them now!_

That evening, when Harry had made his goodnights in the common room and was heading for his dorm, Ginny shocked everyone by following him.

'What are you doing?' Harry hissed at her as she closed the door behind her.

'Following you,' she said calmly.

'Oi, what are you doing up here?' Dean demanded, poking his head out through the curtains on his bed.

'It's quite simple,' she said in that same calm tone as Seamus and Neville's heads also appeared. 'My presence wards off Voldemort, and Dumbledore won't let us have a private room. Since that leaves either my dorm, the common room, or here, and Harry can't get into my dorm, that means I'll have to sleep in here from now on.'

Harry, Ron, Dean and Seamus were all gaping at her like she had three heads.

'I don't mind,' Neville broke the silence, once again coming to Harry's support. 'If it helps Harry, then I don't care if she stays here.'

'Yeah, but…' Dean spluttered.

'There are hangings on the beds,' Ginny pointed out. 'You won't even know I'm here.'

'You know, I'm pretty sure this is against school rules,' Alex said in an amused tone as he entered the dorm.

'Since when do you care about rules?' Ginny retorted. Alex raised his hands in surrender.

'Hey, I'm not arguing against it or anything,' he said placatingly. 'Just thought I'd point it out, is all. If you're going to do this, though, you'd best make sure McGonagall doesn't find out. She'll have you back in your own dorm faster than you can say "Holy hell, what was that".'

'Ginny…' Harry spoke up. 'It's too dangerous, what if…'

'I'm staying, Harry, whether you like it or not,' she said in a steely tone. 'I'm not having you suffering just because of some stupid school rule.'

'We are going to get into _so_ much trouble,' Harry said resignedly as Ginny disappeared behind the hangings on his bed. 'You won't tell anyone, will you guys?'

Dean and Seamus exchanged a long glance, and finally Dean sighed. 'Nah, mate, we won't tell anyone. I just hope Ginny's dorm mates don't say anything.'

'They won't,' Ginny's voice came from behind the curtains. Dean and Seamus' heads vanished back within the confines of their own beds.

'Don't even bother asking,' Alex said flatly as Harry's gaze turned to him. 'If you really think I'd betray a friend like that, you don't know me very well.'

Finally, Harry's gaze came to rest on the only person in the room yet to speak. Ron's gaze was alternating between Harry's bed and Harry himself, and conflicting emotions flickered across his face. Finally he sighed heavily and gave Harry a wan smile.

'Go on, then,' he said in a resigned tone of voice. 'I'm not going to tell anyone.'

'Good,' came Ginny's voice again. 'Now come to bed, Harry.'

Harry turned beet red as Alex grinned at him. Muted snickers could be heard from the direction of Seamus' bed.

'This could be interesting,' Harry muttered to himself as he climbed through the hangings on his own bed. His face burned even more when he saw Ginny, having shed her school robes, now clad only in an old, too-short nightdress, scratching Padfoot's ears.

'_Silenco_,' Harry flicked his wand at the hangings.

'That wasn't really necessary, you know,' Ginny smiled at him. 'It's not like we'll be doing anything…wrong.'

'It makes _me_ feel a lot more comfortable,' he muttered as she slipped beneath the covers.

'Stop being such a prude and get over here,' she pointed at the bed beside her.

'Yes ma'am,' he said obediently, slipping into the bed beside her.

'There now,' Ginny giggled lightly. 'That wasn't so hard, now was it?' She leaned over and kissed him. 'Goodnight Harry, I'll see you in the morning.'

She snuggled up against him, and within minutes was sleeping contentedly. Harry lay awake for a long time, feeling very unequipped to deal with the unfamiliar sensation of Ginny pressed against him _in bed_. It was very different to the few times they'd slept together on a couch in the common room – this was in _his bed_. Although _he_ knew nothing untoward was happening, he shuddered to think what McGonagall would say if she ever found out. He knew Ginny well enough by now, however, to know she wouldn't take no for an answer. He only hoped it didn't land them in massive trouble.

In the early hours of the morning he finally gave up, contenting himself to lay there with Ginny in his arms, and sleep eventually claimed him.

'_Haaarry…Haaarry…_'

Harry mumbled something incoherent and turned over in bed, barely registering the quiet words in his ear. He heard voices holding a whispered conversation, but really didn't care what they were saying. It was Saturday, his bed was nice and warm, and he had nowhere to be. He fully intended to sleep for at least another few hours.

His plans were cut violently short when a pitcher of ice-cold water was dumped over his head. Harry sat bolt upright in bed, his wand clenched tightly in his hand, only to see Ginny, Alex and Cassie rolling on the floor, tears of mirth streaming down their faces. From the amount of light coming in through the window, it was already mid-morning. A quick glance around the room told him that Dean, Seamus and Neville had already left. He panicked for a brief moment that they had gone to tell McGonagall about the new "sleeping arrangements", but shook the thought off.

'Very funny,' Harry grumbled, shaking his head in a vain attempt to dislodge some of the water in his hair. From the end of his bed, Padfoot watched him with his tongue lolling out in canine laughter.

'Sorry Harry,' Ginny gasped for breath, trying hard not to break out into a fresh bout of laughter. 'But it was the quickest way we could think of to wake you.'

'What's so bloody important?' Harry tried to glare at the trio. Ginny put on her most angelic expression, while Alex and Cassie wore identical looks of pure innocence, and he eventually gave up.

'We figured everyone could use some cheering up,' Alex grinned at him. 'And I reckon the Marauders are just the one's to do it, don't you?'

'Couldn't it wait for a few hours?' Harry cast a quick drying charm on his soaked clothes, mentally thanking Hermione for teaching it to him, then turned his wand on his bed.

'No,' Alex and Cassie said together.

'These two have some master plan that they want to implement at lunch,' Ginny explained. 'They haven't told me what it is yet,' she added, shooting the twins a resentful look.

'Hey now, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would we?' Alex grinned at her.

'Absolutely not,' Cassie confirmed. 'Trust me, you won't be disappointed.'

'Alright,' Harry said, resigned to the fact he wasn't going to get any more sleep. 'What do we need to do?'

By the time the four sat down to eat lunch, they were all trying very hard not to burst out laughing. Ron looked up suspiciously from where he was sitting with Hermione as they took their seats.

'Where have you lot been all day?' he demanded.

'Oh, nowhere of any great importance,' Alex said with an airy wave of his hand.

'Translation: what you don't know can't hurt you,' Cassie said with a chuckle.

'You can hope, anyway,' Ginny added.

Ron just stared at them in bafflement. 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'Oh, Ron,' Hermione said in exasperation. 'What does it matter? They're just trying to confuse you.'

'Trying?' Alex said with one eyebrow raised. 'I thought we were succeeding, myself. I can't imagine where I got that impression.'

Ron's retort was cut off abruptly when Dumbledore stood from his place at the Head table, and the Great Hall fell silent.

'It pleases me to announce that, in the interests of training for a repeat of the attack on Hogwarts a few weeks ago, we will be holding a duelling tournament in the week before the holidays.' The Hall broke out into excited whispers, and Dumbledore waited patiently for it to quiet again. 'This tournament will be open only to those students fifth year and above, and there is a limit of ten students per house, for a total of forty students competing. The winner will receive one hundred house points, and the right to test their skills against a Duelling Master.'

At this, the whispers broke out again ten-fold. Dumbledore waited patiently for quiet to return, a slight smile on his face.

'Indeed, this is something to be excited about. All students who would like to enter themselves into the tournament will find a sign-up sheet in the Entrance Hall. The first matches will take place a week from Monday, and the sign-up sheet will remain until Saturday afternoon, when the first round of matches will be drawn, so make sure you have your entries in before then.' Dumbledore clapped his hands sharply, signalling the beginning of the meal, and re-seated himself.

And promptly changed into a goat.

Harry, Ginny, Alex and Cassie collapsed into the couches in front of the fire in the deserted Gryffindor tower, all four howling with laughter.

'Did…you see…the look…on McGonagall's face…before she changed,' Cassie managed to get out between fits of laughter. 'Absolutely…priceless…'

'I liked Hagrid, myself,' Alex grinned. 'I don't think I've ever seen a bear quite that big before – or one wearing a moleskin coat, for that matter.'

'What about Flitwick?' Ginny giggled. 'I thought he made a darling little rabbit.'

'Not as good as your Dad,' Harry said, grinning back at Alex.

'He's going to be so pissed at us,' Alex chuckled. 'Still, it was worth it.'

'And what about Snape?' Cassie smirked.

'Very appropriate,' Ginny smirked back. 'He already looks like a bat most of the time, wasn't much change really.'

The Fat Lady suddenly burst open, and students began to pour into the common room.

'Nice work,' Seamus grinned at the four as he passed.

'What makes you think it was us?' Alex asked innocently.

'Sure, like we'd believe it was anyone else,' Dean snorted as he passed, then flashed a quick smile. 'Still, it was a great prank, I'll give you that. You might want to steer clear of Snape for a while though, he looked absolutely livid when he changed back.'

'Thanks for the warning,' Cassie smiled as he and Seamus disappeared up the stairs to the dorms.

Neville caught Harry's eyes and grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. Harry returned the gesture with a smile. It seemed the prank had done its job – the common room was alive with excited chatter in a way that it hadn't been for quite some time. It was good to see that everything had returned to normal – for a while, at least. Harry wasn't naïve enough to believe it would last, but a brief respite was better than nothing at all.

'Harry? What's wrong?' Harry looked up to find Ginny's face inches from his own, all traces of laughter gone from her eyes as she gazed at him. From the corner of his eyes Harry noticed Alex and Cassie making themselves scarce, giving the couple some privacy.

'Nothing, I guess,' Harry sighed as Ginny sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. 'This reminds me so much of last year, when Fred and George would pull off their latest prank. I'm glad we could make everyone forget for a few days, but I know it won't last very long.'

'Well, there's nothing we can do about it,' Ginny said softly, craning her neck so she could look up at him. 'It's not your fault Voldemort is out there killing people, and at the moment there's nothing you can do to stop him. You know that, so stop beating yourself up over it.'

Harry winced – deep down, she'd hit the nail on the head. He did feel like it was his fault, even though he knew it wasn't, and he felt guilty for staying within the safety of Hogwarts when he should be out fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters. 'How do you do that? Read me so well, I mean?'

Ginny turned an interesting shade of crimson as his question. 'Well, I spent years watching you, when you never noticed me, and I got to know you quite well.' She bit her lip. 'Actually, I have a confession to make. After my first year, and the Chamber, I used to follow you around between classes.'

'Really?' Harry asked, surprised.

'Yeah,' Ginny giggled. 'Actually, I nicked your timetable and made a copy of it so I'd always know where you'd be, and I'd follow you to your next class. I did that right through my second and third years.'

'How did I never see you, then?'

Ginny laughed a little painfully. 'If you had, would you have noticed?'

Harry felt the sudden urge to curse himself – all that time he could have spent with her, and he'd wasted it all by being too thick to see what was right there in front of him. For the hundredth time, he asked himself how the hell he'd managed to overlook her for so long.

'I'm sorry, Gin,' he said quietly. 'I must be blind, to have missed you for so long.'

Ginny smiled up at him. 'Don't be sorry, I know you have a habit of overlooking things that are right under your nose.' She laughed at Harry's mock outraged expression. 'I just want to enjoy our time together now that we have some,' she finished, snuggling closer to him.

Almost of it's own volition Harry's arm went around her, and they stayed that way for quite some time, even when a wryly amused Professor Milton entered the common room and, for the third time in four months, the twins ended up with electric pink hair.

_Review Responses:_

Silver Warrior: _You know, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for pointing it out._

Evansk: _Someone hasn't been paying attention. Andrea was a Muggle, mate._

Athena Dumbledore: _Cassie isn't with anyone, for a very specific reason. Tonks and James? You'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?_

Dree: _That is indeed a compliment, my friend._

siriusfanatic: _I think you need a name change, fudgefanatic…_

gpotter: _Hmm…a sequel to Colours of the Forest could be cool. Or you could try a new fic, I suppose it's up to you. Either way, if you send it to anyone else to Beta, I'll be extremely offended. ;)_

MsMissProngs: _I'm sowwy, find me a corner! ;)_

Whimsical Firefly: _Soon enough, Miss Patience?_

jwhit-moony: _Actually, when my muses are involved, it usually equals 3,967 or so. It's kinda cool writing in correlation with WF, I just have to make sure the events match up between the two stories._

KirbyChirby: _From the amount of comments similar to yours, I get the feeling I'm going to have to hide from hoards of rampaging Reviewers wielding pitchforks in the not-too-distant future…_

Dark-PhoenixX1988: _I don't think I want to know…_

GiGiFanFic: _Oh yes, we still have a LONG way to go. At this rate, we'll have another OotP on our hands…_

sunni07: _You could probably get one pretty cheap, if you're really keen on living under someone just as bad…(shakes fist in Johnny Howard's direction)_

siriusblack08: _I thought you might like that one. As you probably gathered, action aplenty soon enough. I can't wait to do a Harry/Draco duel…_

shotgunn: _James doesn't really stand anywhere. Right now, he has a vendetta against ol' Voldemort, so he's working with Dumbledore. In the last war, he worked for both sides. Read _"Sirius' Choice" _by Whimsical Firefly if you want more of an insight into James' personality – it shows him during the first war. Besides, it's a good story._

Cynthia: _Good grief, that's a lot of reviews! I can't answer all the points you raised, or we'll be here all night! Thanks for the comments though, you reminded me of a few things I'd been meaning to put in but had forgotten. Cheers!_


	48. Unwanted Fame

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Ahh, where would I be these days without my wonderful Beta? Many, many thanks once again to CQ._

That evening after dinner, when most of Gryffindor house were in the common room either doing homework, chatting with friends, or playing assorted games, the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall entered the common room.

Harry looked up from his place with Ginny, Ron and Hermione beside the fire as conversation ceased and all eyes turned expectantly towards their head of house.

'I'll assume all of you were present at lunch today to receive the Headmaster's news?' she said shortly. There was a rumble of assent from the assembled students. 'Good, then you all know that only ten students from each house can enter this contest, and since there are thirty potential candidates, I'm here to ensure there will be no arguments over who gets to compete and who doesn't. Those chosen will be representing not only themselves but also Gryffindor, so I certainly hope you will conduct yourselves in a matter according to your station.'

'Now,' she continued, sweeping the silent room with a stern glance, 'I suppose the pertinent question is, who would like to compete?'

Across the room from Harry, his pink hair standing out vibrantly against the cold stone walls, Alex's hand immediately shot up. It was followed shortly by Isabelle's, who grinned impishly at her boyfriend when he raised an eyebrow at her.

'Very well, that's two then,' McGonagall nodded her approval. 'Anyone else?' Her gaze swept the room again, seeming to linger on Harry. He almost groaned aloud – of course she would expect him to compete. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to; in fact, he was rather looking forward to it, and he knew what he was currently feeling was more than a little childish. It was more that he hated the fact that everyone just assumed that he would enter, being the "great Harry Potter" and all. He glanced at Ginny, sitting beside him, and saw her eyes were narrowed at the Professor. She'd clearly caught the look as well, and just as clearly wasn't very happy about it.

'I'll give it a go,' Ron said, raising his arm. Harry, glad for the lead, also raised his, followed by Ginny and Hermione.

'Excellent,' McGonagall said, clearly pleased. 'So we have Potter, two Weasleys, Granger, Lestrange and Milton, anyone else?'

Harry didn't miss his jump to the front of the queue, but forced his expression to remain neutral. Ginny grasped his hand and squeezed tightly, well aware of how much he hated preferential treatment.

A seventh year named Michael Wilde raised his hand, followed by a fifth year named Aaron Davis.

'That's eight,' McGonagall's gaze swept the room once more. 'Anyone else?'

'What the hell,' Greg Redfield shrugged from his place next to Aaron, 'I'll give it a go.' He raised his hand. A seventh year girl Harry didn't know the name of looked at him speculatively, then raised her hand as well.

'Very well, that's ten,' McGonagall nodded curtly. 'Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Granger, Lestrange, Milton, Wilde, Redfield, Davis, Richmond, I expect you all to have your names down tomorrow. That is all.' With that she turned and left as abruptly as she had entered.

'Well, that was different,' Ginny remarked as the noise level rose again.

'She obviously just didn't want anyone arguing over those positions,' Hermione stated, reopening the book she had been reading when McGonagall had first entered. 'At least now we know who's going to be competing.'

'Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm really looking forward to flattening Malfoy,' Ron grinned viciously.

'Ron!' Hermione scolded. 'This isn't about your personal vendetta against Malfoy! This is about training us for the real possibility that we may have to face Death Eaters again!'

'Nah,' Ron dismissed her words. 'That's what we've got Harry for. Right mate?' He turned to gain Harry's support only to find both he and Ginny missing.

Harry, who had sensed the argument brewing and quickly made his escape, was currently sitting on his bed with Ginny. He was scowling into the middle distance, and Ginny was watching him intently.

'It's not bloody fair,' he finally said bitterly.

'I know it's not,' Ginny said softly, rubbing his back soothingly. 'She had no right to do that.'

'It's not just her,' Harry corrected. 'Everyone in the room just assumed I'd enter, I could tell.'

'Well, you do have a habit of being involved with these things,' Ginny said carefully. She didn't particularly want to revive his memories of the Triwizard Tournament.

'Yeah, I know,' Harry sighed. 'The great Harry Potter, always in the thick of things. Well, just once, I'd like to be on the outside watching someone else get screwed over. Maybe then they'd know what it feels like.'

'You don't mean that, and you know it,' Ginny wrapped her arms around him from behind. 'There's no way you'd ever let someone else suffer, you'd do everything you could to take the burden from them. I know you, Harry James Potter.'

Harry said nothing – there was really nothing to say because, deep down, he knew she was right. Hermione had been right last year – he did have a "saving people thing", and that was exactly what had got Sirius killed.

Ginny, feeling Harry tense up, mentally kicked herself. _Well done, now you've made it worse, _she scolded herself. 'Harry, listen to me –'

'It's alright, Gin,' he said in a strained voice. 'I –'

'Harry, just shut up for a minute and stop feeling sorry for yourself,' Ginny snapped, although her hold on him tightened to lessen the harshness of the words. 'You are the bravest, most self-sacrificing person at Hogwarts, maybe even in all of Britain, and that is _exactly_ what is going to defeat Voldemort. When you went to the Department of Mysteries last year, did you even _once_ think about your own safety? No, you spent the entire time trying to convince the rest of us not to come along with you because it was too risky! You did exactly what you thought was necessary, when you thought it was necessary to do it. It's not your fault that Voldemort tricked you, it's not your fault Sirius died, and personally, I find your absolute concern for others over your own preservation one of your more appealing qualities!'

Harry had half turned within the circle of her arms and was now staring at her, dumbfounded by her words. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but the words died before he could verbalise them.

'Look, Harry,' she said in a much gentler tone, 'I know it's unfair, and I know you hate the attention, but there's nothing you can do about it. Would you really trust anyone else to get the job done?'

Harry considered a moment, then his shoulders slumped and he leaned against her. 'No, I suppose not,' he said resignedly, wrapping his own arms around her waist. 'It's just…' he trailed off, a lump forming in his throat.

'I know,' she said softly, and felt his grip tighten so he was almost clinging to her. 'Just remember, you're not alone. I'm here, Hermione's here, and I certainly can't see Ron abandoning you any time soon.' She couldn't see his smile, because it was currently buried in her shoulder, but she knew it was there. 'And I'm sure you can rely on Isabelle and the twins, as well,' she continued. 'Not to mention the rest of my family.'

Harry remembered what Charlie had said only a few days ago, about him being a part of the family, and his smile widened. 'Yeah, I know,' he said, his voice only slightly muffled by the fabric of her robes. He pulled away from her slightly, just enough so he could look into her eyes. 'Thank you,' he said sincerely. 'I have no idea what I did to deserve –'

Ginny cut off his sentence with a lingering kiss. 'Don't be ridiculous,' she breathed when they finally parted. 'You're you, that's more than enough for me.'

Harry had no idea what to say to her heartfelt statement, so settled for kissing her again. They were still locked together when the dormitory door banged open and Ron stormed in, muttering under his breath.

'Get a room, you two,' he half snapped at Harry and Ginny, who had broken apart at his entrance.

'Is that an order, brother dear?' Ginny asked sweetly. Ron gaped at her for a moment until her realised exactly what he'd said, then scowled at her. He turned abruptly, jumped onto his own bed, and ripped the hangings shut.

'Wow, that must have been a bad one,' Ginny said after Harry had drawn his own hangings and Silenced them.

'Yeah,' he said distractedly. 'I've not seen them so bad for ages. I wonder what sparked this off?'

'You have to talk to Ron,' Ginny said seriously. 'Find out what's going on with him. I'll do the same with Hermione.'

'Are you sure it wouldn't be better to just let them sort it out themselves?' Harry asked, not eager to get into the middle of yet another Ron/Hermione argument.

'Possibly,' Ginny conceded. 'But I get the feeling there's more to this one. Like you said, they haven't argued like this for ages – and Ron certainly hasn't stormed off like he obviously did tonight. He's usually far more interested in the "making up" part.'

'Yeah, you might be right,' Harry nodded. 'I'll talk to him tomorrow.'

The following morning, the ten selected Gryffindors made their way down to the Entrance Hall as a group, a wordless show of solidarity. When they arrived they found a group of Hufflepuffs already there, taking turns to enter their names into the book – it appeared that Professor Sprout had taken the same no-nonsense approach as McGonagall.

After the Hufflepuffs had moved on, Harry led the Gryffindors over to the entry book, set into a niche in the wall. The book itself could more aptly be described as a tome, fully two feet tall with covers bound in scarlet leather – an almost identical colour to that of the Hogwarts Express, Harry realised.

Taking a quill from a conveniently placed inkwell, Harry wrote his name at the top of a new page, followed by his house. One by one the other Gryffindors followed suit in an almost solemn procession, moving to the side and reforming into a group once they had finished.

'I should have known,' a sneering voice came from the entrance to the dungeons just as Greg Redfield finished entering his name. 'You just have to be the hero, don't you Potter? Couldn't bear the thought of actually letting anyone else have a go for a change.'

Harry pointedly ignored Malfoy's jibes, continuing the conversation he was having with Hermione. Ron's face darkened, but he too said nothing.

'It's a good thing they don't charge a registration fee,' Malfoy smirked as the final Gryffindor, Elizabeth Richmond, entered her name into the book and joined her housemates. 'You'd never be able to compete, Weasel King. Of course, that wouldn't necessarily be a good thing, since you'll be an easy knockout for the first Slytherin you come across. Tell me, did the slugs taste good? They'd almost have to, after your mother's cooking, I suppose.'

Harry shot Ron a warning look as the redhead's face got steadily darker with suppressed fury.

Alex scowled at the blonde. 'You don't learn so quick, do you Malfoy?' he spat. 'I'll lay you out again, if you really want me to.'

As if on queue, a large group of Slytherins emerged from the dungeons. They looked warily at the Gryffindors, fingering their wands, obviously waiting for an excuse to use them.

'You can try if you'd like, _Milton_,' Malfoy sneered. 'I don't like your chances of actually getting to me, though.'

'Oh sure, hide behind your lackeys,' Isabelle said with contempt. 'You never were strong enough to fight your own battles.'

Malfoy glared at her. 'You think so, do you?' he said in a deadly quiet voice. 'Well, we'll see, won't we?' He strode boldly past the Gryffindors and jotted his name down in the book. 'I'll see you all in the ring,' he breathed as he passed them again and disappeared into the Great Hall. The group of Slytherins followed him.

'What an ass,' Elizabeth dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

'Yeah, ignore him, Ron,' Greg added. 'He's not worth the air he breathes.'

'Slimy git,' Aaron Davis muttered darkly, glaring at Malfoy's retreating back.

'Won't last two rounds,' Michael Wilde said dismissively.

'Oh, I fully intend to see he doesn't last even one,' Alex cracked his knuckles theatrically. Isabelle rolled her eyes at him.

'Get in line, and no cutting,' she said with a straight face. Alex flashed her a quick grin.

The Gryffindors began to drift away, heading for breakfast. Harry grabbed Ron's sleeve as he made to walk away, stopping him from leaving.

'I need a word,' he said quietly. Ron looked at him oddly, then shrugged.

'Fine,' he said, following Harry up the marble staircase and into a disused classroom. 'What's up?'

'What's your problem?' Harry asked bluntly.

Ron's expression immediately grew guarded, and he took an almost unconscious step back. 'What do you mean, what's my problem? I don't have any problems.'

'Ron,' Harry said patiently, 'last night was the first major fight you've had with Hermione in months, and the first time you've stormed off in longer. You wouldn't be like that if something wasn't wrong. So what is it? Is it between the two of you, or something else?'

Ron glared at him for a long moment, but Harry kept his expression neutral. Finally he sighed and dropped into a nearby chair, running a hand through his hair distractedly. 'Alright, fine, if you're going to be like that, my problem is with Ginny.'

'Ginny?' Harry asked, startled. 'What on earth has she done?'

'She's sleeping in your _bed_, Harry,' Ron said in a pained voice. 'Do you have any idea what that's like for me? She's my little sister!'

Harry nodded slowly, imagining Hermione sleeping in Ron's bed. As the closest thing he had to a sister, the thought was rather disturbing. 'Yeah, I suppose I know what you mean. But it's not like we're going to do anything – I mean, you know how I feel about her, I'd never do anything to hurt her!'

'Harry,' Ron said in the same pained voice, 'I know exactly how you feel about her because I feel the same thing about Hermione, and I've wanted to shag her for months, so that isn't making me feel any better!'

Harry winced at the mental imagery Ron's proclamation brought up, and immediately turned bright red. That was something he _didn't_ want to think about. 'But you know…I'd never…I mean…' he stammered, unable to string a coherent sentence together. That image just refused to leave his mind.

'Yeah, I know,' Ron sighed again. 'Don't worry, it's just me being overprotective again.' Even in his somewhat befuddled state, Harry was surprised by Ron's candid admission. 'I know you'd never…well,' he finished rather lamely, his ears turning pink.

'Absolutely not!' Harry agreed, vigorously shaking his head. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

'Well then, now that's all sorted,' Ron stood up and headed for the door rather more quickly than was strictly necessary. 'Coming to breakfast or not?' Harry, his cheeks still flaming, could only nod dumbly and follow, hoping to any Gods that were listening that Ginny never heard about this.

_Review Responses:_

Evansk: _Well, I was trying to put it nicely…_

siriusfanatic: _Oh dear…I sympathise, really I do. I've wanted to fall asleep in similar circumstances on more than one occasion!_

Whimsical Firefly: _Ahh well, we can all do with a little fluff every now and again. Are you trying to tell me to take it out?_

siriusblack08: _Harry/Dumbledore? Oh no, I have something MUCH more entertaining planned…:D_

aalikane: _Indeed he would…but he's not stupid enough to say anything in front of Ginny._

MsMissProngs: _Probably a good thing my computer desk has wheels…_

gpotter: _Best? Dunno about that…I'm good, but I'm not _that _good._

Larna Mandrea: Reviewer's Army? You're not armed with pitchforks, are you? Never mind, loooong story.


	49. Advanced Dueling Techniques

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Sorry for the slightly longer wait for this one, but I've been busy working on the last few chapters. I have the rest of the story more or less planned out, and there should be about another 30 chapters or so. I think. Bloody hell, 80 chapters? Good grief..._

Monday came, and with it Defense Against the Dark Arts straight after breakfast. Harry had been looking forward to this lesson for months – James had promised to teach them advanced dueling techniques, and it was definitely going to come in handy in the near future.

He, Ron and Hermione took their usual seats at the front of the classroom, after Hermione narrowly avoided a Jelly-Legs Jinx from James, who had been hiding behind the door. That had been happening all year, as the professor had promised – at random times he would crop up and try to curse a student, usually with rather humorous results (like the time he had hit Malfoy with a well placed Leg-Locker just as he had been about to sit down in the Great Hall, resulting in him landing face first in a large bowl of mashed potatoes), and then whole weeks would go by with nothing. Then, out of the blue, he would start up again. Every student attending Hogwarts had learned the hard way to be alert and ready before entering his classroom, and first and second years tended to bolt whenever they saw him coming.

'Right, gather round, you lot,' James commanded. When the class had moved to the front of the room he Banished the desks with a wave of his hand. 'Now, today we're going to be doing advanced Dueling techniques. Does anyone besides Hermione know what that entails?'

There was some good-natured laughter from the Gryffindors at James' gentle teasing, and Hermione turned a rather fetching shade of pink. The Slytherins stayed silent, many eyeing James with open loathing.

'I'll take that as a "no", then,' James said calmly when the room remained silent. 'Pity, I thought you of all people would know these, Draco. Your father was most skilled when I last dueled him. Incidentally, next time you talk to him, ask him how his leg healed up. I noticed last time I saw him he walks with a cane now.'

Malfoy's face turned white with suppressed anger, but he wisely held his tongue. Several Gryffindors sniggered. DADA lessons had been turning out more and more like this – despite James' earlier assertion that all houses should be equal, he showed an even clearer favourism for the Gryffindors than Snape showed for the Slytherins, more likely than not as a method of irritating said professor.

'Now, I don't actually expect any of you to be able to pull these moves off,' James continued. 'Many of them use raw magic in ways that you've probably never experienced before, but if you can master them, they can come in extremely useful, especially if you're looking to join the Aurors or Ministry Security. Even if you're not, in times like these, your knowledge of such things may make all the difference between your life and your death, so all of you pay attention.'

James walked over to one of the bare classroom walls, and the students followed, automatically keeping some distance between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

'Observe,' James instructed, then took a step backwards. He leapt at the wall, his feet making firm contact, and began to run along sideways as if the wall were in fact the floor. Where his boots touched the wall sparks of pure magic could be seen, leaving small scorch marks. He ran along for several metres before leaping off the wall, flipping over to land neatly on his feet. The class stared at him in awe.

'Regardless of what you may think, I did not use any more power to do that than any of you here possess,' he said calmly, as if his feet had never left the ground. 'Every single person in this room is capable of such a feat, if you can focus enough to make it happen. As I said, that trick uses raw magic, so you don't need your wand – once you're on the wall, your wand will be free to cast. And, of course, it's a very handy way to dodge a spell you can't block any other way.'

'Right, everyone line up, you're all going to have a try at this. All it takes is enough will to make it happen, and it will. Remember that.'

'Not you,' James thrust out his arm to stop Harry as he went to join the line. 'This will be a little different for you. Just watch.'

Harry, a little put out at his exclusion, watched with some trepidation as Seamus, the first in the queue, attempted to duplicate James' earlier feat. When he leapt at the wall, however, instead of running up it, he smacked headfirst _into_ it.

'Not quite, Finnegan,' James chuckled as the Irish boy moved out of the way, rubbing his nose where the Cushioning Charm hadn't quite stopped all the impact. 'Next!'

Dean was next to try, and he fared no better than Seamus. Lavender managed to take about three steps along the wall before she fell to the floor with a squeal.

'Better,' James said approvingly, helping her up. 'Much better. You see what I mean? It's all in the will power.'

'Yeah,' Lavender said a little breathlessly. 'I could feel something!'

'One should hope so,' James chuckled, ushering her out of the way. 'I do know what I'm talking about, you know. Well, most of the time. Next!'

Parvati only managed to smack her head when her turn came. Malfoy was next, arrogantly running at the wall and receiving only a nasty bump on the head for his efforts when the Cushioning Charm seemed to weaken for a fraction of a second.

'Oops,' James said calmly. 'Sorry Malfoy, my fault. Next!'

Scowling darkly at the professor, Malfoy stalked across the room to sulk as Crabbe and Goyle both tried and failed miserably to run along the wall. Pansy Parkinson didn't even make it to the wall – she slipped over her own robes as she approached.

'I think you'd best sit this one out, Parkinson,' James said mildly as the Slytherin girl glared at the wall, as if it had somehow offended her. With a 'humph!' she flounced off to join Malfoy.

Millicent Bullstrode was also an abject failure. Blaise Zabini managed get in a few steps before he too dropped to the floor, but he was smirking triumphantly as he stood, ignoring James' helping hand.

'Nicely done,' James granted. 'Next!'

Next in line was Hermione, who stood staring at the wall for a long moment as if, for once in her life, she didn't comprehend what she had to do. Ron poked her lightly in the back, and she hesitantly began to run. She jumped at the wall, but bounced off and dropped back to the floor with a squeal.

'Probably doesn't matter much,' James said dismissively. 'Don't worry Hermione, I've seen your Shield Charm. If there's anyone in the school that can break through it, they deserve to.'

Hermione turned pink again at the compliment, and Ron flashed James a discrete thumbs up. The last thing any of them needed was Hermione sulking because she'd found something books couldn't help her with.

'Ron?' James gestured at the wall. Ron nodded eagerly, sprinting at the wall. He got up sideways and managed a few steps before he too fell to the floor.

'Excellent,' James smiled. 'Knew you had it in you. Next!'

The only person left was Neville, who was eyeing the wall with trepidation.

'Come on Neville, you can do it,' Harry said encouragingly. The round-faced boy smiled hesitantly back, then with a deep breath turned and ran for the wall.

'Typical Longbottom,' Malfoy drawled as Neville bounced off the wall and landed on the floor with a loud thump. 'Too clumsy to even manage –'

'Ten points from Slytherin,' James interrupted harshly. 'You didn't manage it either, Malfoy, so shut your hole before I shut it for you.'

Malfoy's mouth snapped shut, and the look he directed at the DADA professor was filled with loathing.

'I hate you too,' James said without batting an eyelash, and turned back to Neville, who was staring at the ground in shame. 'Would you like another shot, Neville?'

'I'll just stuff it up again,' he said miserably.

'Neville,' Harry said firmly, putting his arm around the other boy's shoulders and speaking in a low voice. 'Remember what I said, about you guarding my back? Come on, I know you can do this!'

Neville sniffed, then looked up and met Harry's gaze; he was a little surprised to see the look of fierce determination in his expression. Neville's blue eyes seemed to spark as he took another deep breath and said, 'Okay.'

Wordlessly, Harry stepped back. Neville stared at the wall for a long moment and then seemed to brace himself. Without warning he started running, gaining momentum before he hit the wall. His feet lifted off the ground, firmly landing on the stones of the wall, and he kept running, much as James had done. Unlike James, however, Neville kept going – and ran smack into the wall at right angles to the one he was running along. He dropped to the floor with a startled yelp, landing hard on his rear.

There was stunned silence for a long time in the classroom. It was James who finally broke into applause, followed by the rest of the Gryffindors.

'Absolutely brilliant!' James crowed, hauling a red faced Neville to his feet. 'Well done, Neville, really well done. Only next time, you might want to keep your eyes open.'

Neville let out a nervous laugh, trying without much success to stifle his grin.

The bell that signaled the end of the lesson rang then. The Slytherins surged for the door, but the Gryffindors stayed a while to congratulate Neville.

'Knew you had it in you,' Dean punched the other boy playfully on the shoulder.

'Showed up Malfoy, right enough,' Seamus chuckled. 'Little git, did you see his expression? He looked absolutely livid. You'd best watch your back, Neville.'

Neville let out a terrified squeak, and almost automatically his eyes sought out Harry, who smiled slightly.

'Don't worry, mate,' Ron spoke up. 'If he comes anywhere near you, me and Harry'll hex him into next week.'

'If I were any other Professor I'd take points from you for that, Weasley,' James chuckled. 'Fortunately for you, I happen to feel the same way, so I'll pull Dumbledore's trick and go temporarily deaf.'

The Gryffindors laughed, and began to drift out of the classroom.

'Oh, Harry, Ron, Hermione,' James called after them as they made to leave. They moved out of the way to let Neville and Dean past, then turned to their Professor curiously.

'I've been informed by Mister Filch that you three, along with my vagrant son, Miss Lestrange and Miss Weasley, were involved in the recent prank on the teaching staff. Consequently, I'm giving you all a weeks worth of detentions.' He winked at them as he spoke, indicating the open door with a tilt of his head. His meaning was fairly clear: someone might be listening. 'You are all to be here promptly at seven tonight, and every night this week. Understood?' He smiled faintly.

'Understood,' Harry said, more than a little puzzled by their professor's odd behaviour. James' smile widened as he ushered them out the door.

'So, Potter,' Harry had to fight the urge to smack his head into the wall when he heard Malfoy's drawl, 'got yourself in trouble again, have you? Pity Milton didn't expel you, but I suppose Dumbledore would never allow it. Gryffindor's Golden Boy, he-who-can-do-no-wrong.'

'Sod off, Malfoy,' Ron snarled.

'Very original, Weasel King,' Malfoy sneered. 'So, I suppose there'll be a big party in Gryffindor tower tonight to celebrate the fact that for once Longbottom didn't trip over his own feet.' From their usual positions standing behind Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

'No, there won't,' Hermione snapped. 'There will be a party to celebrate the fact that _Longbottom_ beat the _Malfoy heir_.'

Malfoy's face darkened. 'Have a care, Mudblood,' he said softly, and Harry had to physically restrain Ron from leaping at Malfoy, 'there are changes coming, and if I were you I'd be more careful about which side you choose.' With that said Malfoy spun with a dramatic swirl of his robes and was gone.

'Arrogant...slimy little...bastard!' Ron snarled, looking about ready to murder.

'Come on,' Harry hauled on his arm. 'We need to go tell Ginny, Isabelle and Alex about what Professor Milton said. I have a feeling it's not about Detention.'

'I wonder what he wants, then?' Hermione mused as they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch.

'We'll find out tonight, I suppose,' Harry glanced at the staff table as they entered the Hall, and he could have sworn he saw James wink at him again.

_Review Responses:_

siriusblack08: _Oh Gods, not another Halo 2 addict. That game is starting to PISS ME OFF! Death to X-Box! On that note, can't wait for Goldeneye: Rogue Agent to come out..._

pad's gurl584: '_Course you can! I posted a complete list in my Live Journal, to make things a little easier. Address is in my Profile._

PARTXTIMEANGELITA: _I actually already have part of the battle sequence at the end of HPMM already written, and according to my Beta it's some of the best stuff I've ever done. I already have the rest of the story planned out, now I just have to actually get around to writing it..._

bluemonkeyman: _Harry/James? (blanches) Mate, I won't even READ slash, let alone WRITE it. Ugh._

Whispyraven: _I really wish you'd stop doing that...you keep giving things away! Bah, never mind. I'll go check out your entry asap._

gpotter: _'Course I've seen Bruce Almighty, it's on my Top Ten list. I'm trying to put in more R/H, because everyone keeps asking for it, but I'm not all that great at it. I'll have to get CQ to help._

Merusa: _Groveling accepted! Now honestly, do you really think I'd kill James off? Hmm?_

jwhit-moony: _Argh, I hate it when people do that..._

bogus7: _You really think I could forget Cass? Don't worry, there's a good reason I didn't enter her._

Pocky and Pixi Stix: _Heh...a lot of my reviewers have been with me for some time, so we have ongoing dialogues happening. Does make these responses a bit confusing at times, though._

Elise: _Of course it can't be any other way! H/G rocks..._

Marauder4eva: _I'm not going to tell you who the dueling master is, so nya. :p_

MsMissProngs: _Indeed it did, just not the way you were hoping (I went off and wrote chapter 70-something!)_

shotgunn: _An extremely interesting suggestion...and one that may bear fruit, if things keep going the way they are._


	50. Informing The Order

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By CreativeQuill

_JM's Note: Well, here we are, chapter fifty. To begin this chapter, I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with me for this long – you're all incredible. The more observant of you will have noticed a slight variation in my customary chapter heading – to celebrate 50 chapters of HPMM goodness, I asked my good friend and Beta CreativeQuill to write a guest chapter, and I for one absolutely love what she's done. So, without further ado, I'll hand you over to her more than capable hands. Enjoy!_

_CQ's Note: __I don't believe that James actually let me do this. I'm feeling like a little kid who's been playing with her mom's makeup – or her dad's tools – without permission! When James approached me to write a guest chapter for Harry Potter and the Mind Mage, I think I may have surprised him with my reaction. I couldn't wait to get started, and it just kind of flowed out of me... I hope that what I've come up with is what he was looking for when he approached me! Thank you, so much, James. You have no idea of how thrilled I am to have contributed in this small way to your amazing fic._

Albus Dumbledore surveyed the room. The War Room at Grimmauld Place had been used as a headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix for several years now, and he was getting used to it's grubby charm.

Not to mention the rather beguiling scent of Molly Weasley's cooking that had permeated the house. The woman was a first rate cook. Her apple pie alone...well, perhaps that was just his years of living alone, eating school meals – or perhaps it was just an old man feeling sorry for himself.

Regardless, there were a fast-congregating crowd of Order members to be addressed. Several topics were on the agenda for the night, but only one was of true concern to the elderly wizard. Well... perhaps 'concern' was the wrong word.

Apprehensive. Anxious. Shaking in his size tens.

Why had he agreed to be the one to break the news to Molly Weasley that her two youngest children had joined the Order?

He sighed. He knew why. He had made some monumental mistakes in his dealings with Harry, and young Ginevra could be as intimidating as her mother. For some reason, he felt the need to make amends, in some small way, for his past transgressions. He had a sneaking suspicion that Harry may not care,may simply get on with what he had to do without paying any further attention to an old wizard. But Miss Weasley... well, he wouldn't care to cross her. Not when it came to Harry, at any rate.

He watched as Order members filed in and took their seats. Not all of them were there, of course. Hagrid never attended the meetings held here at Grimmauld Place. Nymphadora, too, had been excused... and several other members were off seeing to Order business. The twelve who were now assembled in the long room which could easily have sat twice that many were all looking at him expectantly.

Dumbledore sighed again.

Emmeline Vance cast him a cryptic look. Dumbledore smiled. Emmeline had run most things in her life with an iron fist for many years, crossed only by those who either were ignorant of her acid tongue, or who didn't particularly care if she took offense. Personally, he thought Ginny Weasley fell into the latter category. Seeing her confront the older witch at the last meeting at the school had brought a rather satisfied smile to the old wizard's face. Emmeline hadn't been put in her place properly for years.

"I'm glad to see you all here tonight..." he began. "We have several matters of Order business to take care of. Many things have been happening which I wish to make you all aware of."

"Albus?" Mad-Eye eyed him with his one good eye,what passed for aconcerned look on the old Auror's face. His magical eye spun in it's socket.

"Alastor, we must make the other Order members aware of what has been going on around Hogwarts."

"Are you certain that –"

"Yes, I am," Dumbledore nodded. "It is time."

"Very well," Alastor nodded, leaning back in his seat, his head turning as his magical eye took in everything around him, coming to settle on Mundungus Fletcher, who suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.

"Several months ago, during the Hogsmeade weekend, young Miss Weasley was possessed by Voldemort."

Gasps around the room. Dumbledore didn't take his eyes from Molly. She was paper white, her hand at her throat.

"Harry, somehow... exorcised him from her. The sheer force of magic that the boy used was... alarming, to say the least. He would not allow anyone near her, even myself, and carried her back to the castle himself.

"The level of magical ability he has developed is quite astounding, actually. When Ginevra awoke, the light from the windows apparently was irritating her... Harry somehow sealed the room without the use of his wand – and without, apparently, even thinking about it very hard. It took me an entire day to remove the spell which had covered the windows – blocking the offending light – with a layer of stone. Harry has developed a level of magic... it is truly amazing. According to James Milton..."

There were several snorts of derision around the table, and Dumbledore paused. "Despite what many of you may be feeling about James... he is a man with his own demons. I have every faith in his loyalty, to Harry and his children if no one else."

There was silence in the room. No one dared question the Headmaster's faith in someone – nobody but Harry, of course.

"This power, Albus..." asked Sturgis Podmore. "How is it... how is Harry dealing with it?"

"I feel confident that, despite a few hiccups, Harry will easily control it. The power itself is being overseen by a Familiar..."

"A Familiar?" Arthur looked at him, his brow furrowing in thought. "But Hedwig..."

"Hedwig was merely pet and friend to Harry... the Familiar has taken form as a basilisk..."

More gasps.

"Yes... the spirit of the basilisk from the Chamber has chosen to align with Harry. As well, he now carries with him a corporeal servant in the form of a serpent..."

"What?" Molly asked, stunned.

"I believe that she calls herself 'Zith'," Albus smiled. "And I understand that she has taken quite a shine to her master... and mistress."

"What 'hiccups'?" asked Bill Weasley.

"I'm sorry?" Dumbledore turned to him.

"You said, 'despite a few hiccups'. What has happened?"

Dumbledore looked at the younger wizard for a moment, then nodded.

"There have been two... unfortunate... incidents. Both are easily explained... the first was by far the most serious, of course, so I feel that Harry is learning to control..."

"Albus," Emmeline Vance glared at him. "What happened?"

"Young Draco Malfoy made the unfortunate decision to... harass... a few of Harry's friends. Mister Malfoy does not learn easily, apparently. One would think that after all these years he would tire of... well, Harry rather lost control. Mr Malfoy and two of his peers were pinned against a wall with a force of magic so strong that... well, they spent several hours in the hospital wing, and I understand that Poppy Pomfrey had to use more than one cleansing charm on the young men in question... Harry put quite a fright into them."

Bill couldn't help but smile.

"Unfortunately, that incident ended with Harry teleporting himself and Miss Weasley away... we were quite concerned for an hour or two..."

"Apparating?" Kingsley interupted, fixing his gaze on the Headmaster."You can't Apparate within Hogwarts."

"Yes..." Dumbledore smiled at him. "But I said 'teleporting', not Apparating. It would appear that Harry's…ability is very different to what we term 'Apparition'. It was while they were in the forest..."

"The forest!" Molly said, her voice cracking.

"... that they were approached by Zith... I have not quite worked out yet what this creature's role is to play... but I will."

"Ginny needs to come home..." Molly began.

"Molly..." Dumbledore looked at her. "When your daughter is away from Harry, or upset with him... Voldemort is able to access Harry's mind."

"What?"

"Ginny is somehow... blocking Voldemort's access to Harry. But when she is physically not present, or upset with Harry," Dumbledore smiled at this – Ginny Weasley had a temper similar to her mother's, "Voldemort immediately takes advantage."

"But..."

"We will speak further to this later..." Dumbledore nodded to the Weasleys. "Suffice to say, that more happened when Harry brought Ginny from the Chamber than merely the saving of her life."

"But..."

"When Ginny is outside the wards of Hogwarts, she is vulnerable to Voldemort, as well. When Harry transported them to the forest, Voldemort took advantage. I am sorry to say that the second possession was almost the end for Harry..."

"What?" Molly demanded. "Albus... the _second_..."

"Miss Weasley physically attacked Harry a few days later. He will have a rather permanent scar... but his loyalty to her has not wavered. In fact, I believe he blames himself for not thinking of the wards..."

"But she's..."

"She's fine now, Molly. If rather pained at the thought of having hurt Harry."

"And Harry?" Arthur asked quietly.

"He will be fine," Dumbledore said. "As a matter of fact, with the advent of the young Milton twins, we have a return of... I believe they are calling themselves 'the new Marauders'."

Twinkling eyes glanced down the table at Remus Lupin, whose grin was startling. The werewolf seldom smiled. Dumbledore was immediately put in mind of the young man who had come to Hogwarts all those years ago, and been befriended by James Potter and Sirius Black.

"And the second incident?" asked Bill.

"Yes…well, at the Halloween Ball, a rather silly young man made... inappropriate advances towards Miss Weasley," Dumbledore smiled at Bill's wince. "It did not go over very well at all."

Charlie chuckled, "Harry nearly put the little prat through a wall."

"Needless to say, Mr Malfoy and Mr Corner are... in general… learning to avoid Harry's wrath. Mr Malfoy, however, may require a reminder shortly. His activities with concern to Miss Lestrange appear to be overriding his common sense."

"Lestrange?" Molly paled. The Lestrange family had caused her own family much pain in past.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "To my great surprise, and delight, the group seems to have adopted young Isabelle Lestrange into it's ranks..."

"A _Death Eater_?" Hestia Jones asked, shocked.

"No, Miss Jones," Dumbledore glanced at her. "A student. A student who was originally sorted into Slytherin, more than likely on the basis of her family history. Miss Lestrange, however, requested to be resorted this year... she is in the fifth year... and miraculously, was resorted into Gryffindor."

"A trick?" Kingsley asked. "I've been thinking about this, Albus. It's possible..."

"No, Kingsley, no trick. I think the events during the attack on the school more than proved Miss Lestrange's loyalties."

"She..."

"As you know, Kingsley... a student killed Bellatrix Lestrange during the attack on the school. That student was Bellatrix's own daughter... Isabelle."

There was a moment of silence around the table while they all took this in.

"Harry generates great loyalty," Dumbledore said quietly. "And this both inspires me and frightens me."

"Why?" asked Arthur.

"Because the boy has his own personal damned army, that's why," the gruff voice of Alastor Moody came from the far end of the room. "And he's beginning to question other people's loyalty to _him_."

"What does that mean?" Molly asked.

"Harry has the devotion of a great deal of the student body. In fact," Dumbledore sighed, "there is an 'inner group' if you will, who I believe would happily follow him into Hell itself, were he to find it necessary to go."

"But he's questioning their loyalty?" Molly asked.

"No, not theirs..." Dumbledore sighed again. "Because he knows he can count on them, he has begun to question the loyalty of... others."

"Such as?" Bill asked.

"Such as members of the Order," Dumbledore said. "He asked Nymphadora Tonks directly if, should she be given an order by me, and a contradictory order by him, who she would obey... Nymphadora came to me, greatly upset by this."

"Why?" asked Bill.

"Because," Dumbledore met the other man's blue eyes with his own. "She didn't know how to respond."

There was a moment of profound silence in the room before Dumbledore continued, changing the subject.

"The attack on Hogwarts was not... serious."

"Not serious?" Molly cried.

"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "It was merely a scare tactic... we saw this regularly during the last war, Molly. You know how he works. But, despite the fact that most of the teachers were spirited away..."

"What? How?" Arthur asked, alarmed.

"We're still trying to work that out," Dumbledore's eyes sparkled. "Suffice to say we were, and the group surrounding Harry – and you can extend that to what is commonly referred to at the school as the DA club – those students who Harry has been instructing... proved to be well capable of dealing with Voldemort's supporters. It was during this battle that Bellatrix Lestrange was killed."

"And that is one of the reasons why..." he took a rather deep breath, then plunged ahead. "I must inform those of you not in attendance at the last meeting, held at Hogwarts, that we have acquired several new members."

"New members?" Arthur Weasley said. "Who?"

Dumbledore thought he saw Charlie Weasley's eyes twinkle. Charlie loved a good fight, and the young wizard was probably going to see fireworks tonight.

"I had the pleasure of inducting several members at the last meeting..."

"Who?" Molly asked, looking confused. The Order had not discussed the admittance of any new members in the near future, unless... "Albus Dumbledore..."

"At the last meeting, we inducted seven new members," he continued softly. "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Alexander and Cassandra Milton, Isabelle Lestrange, and Ron and Ginevra Weasley."

"_Albus Dumbledore!"_ Molly Weasley jumped to her feet. Dumbledore met her eyes, calmly looking over his half-moon glasses at her.

"Molly, you must listen..."

"I must do no such thing!" she yelled, standing with Arthur holding her left arm, trying to pull her back into her chair. "You dare," she spat. "You _dare_ to go against our _expressed_ wishes to keep them as far from this as possible..."

"Molly," Dumbledore sat forward in his chair, his elbows resting on the table, and his fingers steepled. "It is no longer possible to keep them from this. Harry is aware that something draws near... you know his fate. Ron is, and has been for some years, his best friend. I doubt you could get him to leave his side now, in any case. And good luck getting your daughter away from him. Young Ginevra has made her choice. They've been given the test, and they have all proven worthy."

"Very worthy," Remus Lupin commented from the end of the table.

"Remus?" Bill looked down the table at him. "What do you mean?"

"I was there," Remus said. "Along with Emmeline, and Dedalus, and a few others here. Personally, I have never seen one more worthy than Harry."

"He's too young!" Molly shrieked. "They _all _are!"

"Molly, the group I've just outlined held off an attack on the school, nearly single-handedly. They may be young, but they are ready. Harry must be made ready, we know that. And if you think that his friends are about to let him do this alone, well..." Dumbledore smiled. "You don't know your daughter _or_ your son very well."

"Molly..." Elphias Doge coughed from the end of the table. "His light was white."

All at the table were silent. Those who hadn't been in attendance at the last meeting seemed rather speechless. "Bright white. Unlike anything I've ever seen. Ever."

Elphias Doge was, perhaps, the oldest Order member besides Dumbledore himself. He had been a member of the original Order, and was a well-respected member of this one.

"White?" Bill swallowed.

"The purest white I've ever seen. And..." Dumbledore smiled gently. "It was paired."

"Paired?" Arthur sat straighter in his seat. "With whom?"

Albus smiled again, and nodded. "Your daughter, Arthur."

"They're _children_," Molly cried. Arthur placed an arm around her, looking rather surprised himself. "Ginny is barely fifteen!"

"And already giving Harry the strength he needs to wield the weapons he must, if we are to survive," Albus said.

Bill stiffened. "What, exactly, is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Relax, Bill," Charlie grinned. "Ron and I have already had a little talk with Harry." Bill looked at him quizzically for a moment, then his eyes widened and he smiled slightly.

"I don't understand," Molly said quietly, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Why are _my _children the ones in the centre of this?"

"I would imagine it's because you and Arthur taught them to fight for what they believe in, Molly," Albus said. "And both Ron and Ginevra believe in Harry Potter."

_JM's Note: Well, there you have it. Normal format again for the next chapter, which may be out as soon as tomorrow, if my blasted muses decide to cooperate. Review Responses will be posted in that chapter. Until then, Ciao!_


	51. Training

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: So much for the 'tomorrow' mentioned in the last chapter…this one took a little longer than I though it would. Oh well, enjoy!_

'About time you lot showed up,' James grinned at the group of Gryffindors as they filed into his classroom at seven o'clock sharp that evening. His keen eyes immediately picked out an addition to the group, and he raised his eyebrow at his daughter.

'I don't seem to recall requesting your presence, Cass,' he said mildly.

'I know you didn't,' she said calmly. 'But you're up to something, and I want in.'

'I should have known,' James chuckled, ruefully shaking his head. 'You're far more like your mother than you'll ever know.' It would take a trained listener to hear the slight catch in his voice as he spoke, and only the most aware observer would notice the very small tightening around his eyes.

'Right,' he said crisply. 'I'm sure you're all curious as to why you're here. As you may have gathered, the detention is only a cover story, as I know very well that it was only Harry, Ginny and my darling children involved in that prank – and no punishment will be given, as I also know why you did it.'

'That _was_ you!' Ron gaped at Harry.

'It was mostly Ginny's work, actually,' Harry shrugged. 'She's the one who's good at Transfiguration, not me.'

'And what are we, dragon liver?' Alex demanded with a quirky smile.

'You mean Norbert liver,' Cassie added with a grin.

'Yes, well,' James interrupted, 'when we've all stopped making bad jokes, we'll get to work, hmm?' Everyone silenced immediately. 'Much better. Now, I suppose at least one of you has made the connection…'

'Everyone you summoned is entered into the duelling tournament,' Hermione answered immediately.

'…and I should have known it would be you,' James laughed. A small, pleased smile crossed Hermione's lips, and Ron grinned at her. 'So, as Hermione pointed out correctly, with the exception of Miss Tag-Along…' At this Cassie stuck her tongue out at her father, '…you're all entered into the tournament. Now, does that suggest anything to any of you?'

'Isn't that against the rules?' Hermione frowned.

'Isn't what against the rules?' Ron asked in confusion.

'Now really, Hermione,' James said in an injured tone, 'do you really think that _I_ of all people would go about breaking rules?'

'Yes,' Alex and Cassie said simultaneously.

'Exactly,' James grinned at them. 'Now, do you want to be trained to beat the snot out of Malfoy or not?'

'You're going to train us for the tournament?' Harry asked incredulously.

'Of course I am,' James said airily. 'Besides, the whole point of this thing is to help you train for battle with Death Eaters, right? Well, I've had enough first hand experience to show you how it's done properly, and if it helps you win the tournament, well…'

'Bending the rules, rather than breaking them,' Alex smirked.

'Now you're getting it,' James smirked back. 'Convenient timing, that's all it is – pure coincidence. Of course, if Dumbledore wasn't such an overprotective old codger, I would have started this months ago – but he's off at an Order meeting tonight at Headquarters.'

'Brilliant!' Ron said enthusiastically. 'Where do we start?'

'Simple,' James raised his voice. 'Tonks!'

'_Will_ you stop doing that!' Tonks glared at the Mind Mage in frustration as she let the Invisibility cloak slip down to her shoulders.

'Probably not,' James said blandly. 'I need you to work with this lot while I have a word with Harry, fair enough? You _do_ want them prepared for any eventualities, don't you?' he added, seeing Tonks hesitate.

'Fine,' she sighed. 'But if Dumbledore finds out, I'm blaming all this on you, buster.'

James shrugged. 'Whatever makes you happy, Nymph. Now go play with the children while I speak to Harry.'

'Children?' Alex said in an outraged tone as Tonks herded the group, minus Harry, to the other side of the room. 'Oh, you'll pay for that one, Dad!'

'Right, Harry,' James said in a quiet voice, ignoring his son's outburst. 'I'm sure you haven't forgotten the snake living in your head, yes?'

Harry thought that was stating the obvious just a bit – although his Basilisk Familiar had quietened down over the last few months, there were still occasional random incidents. The last had been only a few days ago, when Harry had inadvertently Summoned Ginny from across the Common Room to land squarely in his lap. Harry could still feel his cheeks burning just from the thought.

'Now, Dumbledore thinks you've had enough time to adjust to it's presence, and it's about time you started to learn to harness the power it possesses,' James went on, his intensely blue eyes watching Harry carefully.

'How do I do that?' Harry asked. As if on queue he felt that odd stirring within his mind that signified his Familiar was "awake".

'It's not something you'll ever have direct control over – the human mind cannot handle that much power, which is why we have Familiars,' James explained.

'What about your own power?' Harry had to ask. 'I mean, you're more powerful than me, so why can you handle so much?'

'An interesting question,' James granted. 'It works a little differently in my case, though. In the simplest terms, it's not just my mind that handles my power, it's my whole _being_. But that's not what we're talking about; we're talking about you and your Familiar. Now, to put it simply, all you'll really be able to do is give commands, and leave it up to the Basilisk to follow them. Even though it's a part of you, it's still a separate entity, and it will use the power it has been granted in the best way it sees fit – which should mean however will benefit you most.'

'Should?'

'Well, it's not the most exact thing in the world,' James said wryly. 'I knew a wizard years ago who had a Familiar that decided the best way to keep him alive was to encase him in solid stone in the middle of a duel.'

'He died?' Harry gasped. His skin crawled at the very notion.

'I never said that,' James corrected. 'I said he was encased in stone. Luckily I got there before his supply of air ran out.'

'Oh,' Harry said weakly.

'Don't worry, that sort of thing doesn't happen very often,' James dismissed his worries. 'My point is you won't be able to predict exactly how a Familiar will react in any given situation. That, incidentally, is why I stopped you from trying the wall-running exercise earlier today. I didn't particularly want your Familiar to decide the best way for you to run along the wall would be to pull it down. I've seen some rather bizarre reactions to very normal situations before, so I thought it a good idea not to start experimenting with _unusual_ circumstances.'

Harry agreed wholeheartedly – he had no wish to be buried under a pile of rubble.

'Besides, you probably won't need that sort of trick, anyway,' James added. 'A Familiar is allowed to bend all sorts of rules – like being able to teleport inside the wards of Hogwarts. You'll find it will come up with all sorts of interesting ways to protect you from danger.'

'Hang on,' Harry objected, a thought occurring to him. 'What about the battle?' He hadn't thought about it before, but when he had been fighting the Death Eaters that had penetrated the Wards, there had been no sign of his Familiar.

'My fault,' James admitted. 'I thought it might make things a little unpredictable in the heat of battle to have you running around without training, so I temporarily cut your link to your Familiar.'

'You can _do_ that?' Harry asked, startled. 'What's to stop Voldemort from doing the same thing?'

'The spell can only be performed by someone whom you trust without question – thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way,' James flashed Harry a grin.

'Well, you're about the only adult that hasn't lied to me yet,' Harry muttered under his breath.

'Look, Harry, I know you've heard this a million times before, and I know it doesn't make things any better, but Dumbledore had his reasons for keeping things from you,' James said seriously. 'Just remember that hindsight is always twenty-twenty, but foresight isn't nearly so reliable. Heck, look at Trelawney!'

Harry had to chuckle at the thought of the batty old Divination Professor, whose favourite pastime was predicting Harry's death in a new and gruesome way every Divination lesson. Harry was immensely grateful that he no longer had to put up with her.

'Right, I think we'd best join your friends before young Nymph gets carried away,' James said with a chuckle, breaking Harry from his thoughts. With a quick nod Harry followed the Defence professor across the room, his mind preoccupied with what he had just learned.

'Alex, Cass, your father is a slave driver,' Isabelle groaned as the seven Gryffindors staggered into the Common Room hours later and collapsed into seats before the fire. 'Merlin, I don't think I've _ever_ felt this tired.'

'Try living with him,' Cassie said with a wry smile. Of the seven, only she and Alex seemed to be relatively unaffected by the rigorous training James had just put them through. 'You get used to it pretty quickly, trust me.'

Harry tuned the conversation out – he was absolutely exhausted. He laid his head down on Ginny's shoulder, his mind whirling with what he had learned over the course of the lesson.

While Tonks had attempted to teach the others how to cast spells without their verbal component, James had tried to teach him how to 'teleport', as he called it. It was harder than it looked – every time he had done it in the past had been on instinct, and to actually sit down and attempt to explain to his Familiar exactly what he wanted was incredibly difficult. His problem had culminated when he had been distracted at a critical moment, and instead of teleporting himself five feet to the left, as he was supposed to, he ended up almost on top of Ginny – right as she was practicing casting her trademark Bat-Bogey Hex without words. Thankfully, the lack of a verbal component lessened the effects of the spell, and James managed to reverse the effects, all the while laughing fit to burst. Ginny herself had been wavering between mortification and amusement. One thing was certain, however – Harry was NEVER going to annoy Ginny again. Ever.

Of course Hermione had mastered the art in a very short time, culminating in her hitting Ron from across the room with a Tickling Charm. The rest of them, however, had not fared as well. Harry smiled as he remembered Isabelle's reaction.

'_This is silly_,' she had announced after nearly an hour of trying to cast even the most simple spell. '_If I want to blow up the bloody bottle, I'll do this. _Reducto!'

The butterbeer bottle they had been practicing on had quite literally exploded, leaving a very smug looking Isabelle – until, of course, Tonks caught her completely unawares with a Body-Bind curse. She had toppled over with a loud _thump_, her startled oath cut off as the wind was knocked out of her.

'_That, my dear Isabelle, is why this is useful_,' James had said urbanely as he removed the curse and pulled her to her feet. '_If you don't know a curse is coming, you can't block it. Understood?_'

Harry glanced over at the ex-Slytherin – she had her head resting on Alex's chest, and her eyes were closed. It suddenly struck him how much she'd changed since she had been re-sorted into Gryffindor. The hard edge had gone from her face, and the slight tightness around her eyes that had been perpetually present had disappeared. Harry glanced up and caught Alex's eyes. Without changing expression, Alex glanced down at the girl half asleep in his arms, and then back up to Harry. He nodded slightly, and mouthed the words, '_Thank you_.'

Harry grinned at him in response, returning the nod as best he could with his head on Ginny's shoulder. The redhead caught the motion, and her eyes opened. She glanced across the room at Alex, who was now stroking Isabelle's hair softly, and then looked down at Harry.

'What?' she whispered under the sounds of Cassie and Hermione discussing the relative merits of non-verbal spells, while Ron tried his best not to look bored.

'Nothing,' Harry replied quietly. 'Just…something. Isabelle.'

'Harry,' Ginny laughed softly, 'you're incredible, you know that?'

He smiled up at her. 'Hardly.'

'How many other people can honestly say they've managed to convert a Slytherin into a Gryffindor?' she asked pointedly.

'I didn't do that,' Harry objected quietly. 'She did all the work, not me.'

'But you're the one that showed her the way, and helped her when no-one else would,' Ginny returned. 'If it wasn't for you including her in that photo, she'd still be a Slytherin outcast.'

'Yeah…I suppose,' Harry sighed.

'It's nothing to be ashamed of, silly,' Ginny shook her head. 'I can guarantee you, she's happier here than she ever was in Slytherin.'

Harry didn't reply. He sat in silence, his head still resting on Ginny's shoulder, watching Alex gently lift Isabelle into his arms. He muttered something as he got close to the girl's staircase, and disappeared up them without a word.

'Why does he get to know that password and we don't?' Ron complained as he watched the pair's retreat.

'Because, Ron, my brother has a knack for getting into places he's not supposed to be anyway,' Cassie said. 'Trust me, if he didn't have the password, he'd find some other way up there.'

'Still not fair,' Ron grumbled.

'Oh, Ron,' Hermione scolded. 'What on earth would you want to go up there for anyway?'

He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she immediately turned beet-red. 'Do you really have to ask, love?'

'You're impossible,' she said, smiling in spite of herself.

'And on that note,' Cassie said, standing, 'I'm going to bed before this gets any more cloying. I'll see you all in the morning.'

'Yeah, we'd best get to bed too,' Ginny said quietly to Harry. 'I have Potions first thing in the morning, and you know how much Snape would love for me to fall asleep on the side of the cauldron.'

Harry chuckled and, on impulse, copied Alex's earlier movements and swiftly gathered her up into his arms. Ginny squealed as he twirled her around a bit, clasping her arms around his neck.

'I can walk, you know,' she said as he started up the stairs to the boy's dorms.

'Not when I'm around, you can't,' he grinned at her.

'Prat,' she said affectionately, pulling herself up to kiss him.

'Keep that up, Weasley, and I might just drop you,' Harry swung her around so her head nearly hit the stone wall.

'Don't you dare!' she squealed. 'Harry James Potter, if you drop me, I swear I will never forgive you!'

'Probably a good thing I'm not going to, then,' Harry grinned down at her, planting a kiss on her forehead as he carried her over to his bed.

She scowled at him, pulling her wand from her pocket and transfiguring her school robes into a nightdress. 'What?' she asked at Harry's inquisitive look. 'I'm too tired to be bothered going all the way up to my dorm, okay?' She separated the curtains, and he deposited her onto the bed then climbed in after her, firmly pulling the hangings shut behind him.

_A/N: Next chapter might be the start of the tournament, if you're all good…I for one am much looking forward to seeing Malfoy get flattened…:D_

_Review Responses:_

Windcall: _As a fellow Sirius fan, I know where you're coming from – don't worry, you'll find out why he came back…eventually._

JackO: _Mate, if you're a loser then so am I! I spend a ridiculous amount of money on books._

hpgirl7777: _I seem to have a knack for picking the right names… ;)_

harry/ginny4eva: _Hey, rambling is good, so don't worry. The Tests were great, it's just a pity we lost out on the One-Dayer, though…stupid sheep fu…whoops, did I say that out loud? ;) Let's hear it, Go, Aussie, Go!_

Talix: _The fics where Harry pushes everyone away just piss me off, because I really can't see Ron or Hermione EVER letting him get away with it. I hope the differences between the Weasley Twins and the Milton twins became a little more pronounced as the story went on. And if they haven't, well…they will. And it's not the first time I've been called 'ludicrously odd', and I'm guessing it won't be the last._

Elmire: _Wow…I think that's the first time I've been complimented in French… :D The speed that everything is developing is quite deliberate, and was commented on by James quite some time ago, at the Ball – they don't want things to progress this fast, but they can't really stop it. The comments about Australia being the best were tongue-in-cheek, mostly designed to tweak the noses of any Americans. A bit of fun, nothing more._

Crimson Jenn: _I can take the rebuff for my anti-Americanism, but if you insult Cricket again, I will hunt you down. ;p Just kidding…_

kazziedal: _Wow…flattery much? I have a seventh year sequel planned, and might take it further if people are really keen. Might be interesting to do a fic about James…_

andburn1: _You might want to go back and read the author's notes at the top of last chapter, mate…_

HermioneGreen: _All will be revealed…eventually._

Dree: _Hey, who else am I going to get to do it? CQ writes a _brilliant_ Molly…_

Mistress-Genari: _That was one of my favourite lines in that chapter… ;)_

shotgunn: _Lets just say that without you, it probably would never have occurred to me. Cheers, mate!_

George Heichelheim: _Erm…thanks, but I already knew how to do italics and bold, mate. Why did you feel the need to explain it?_

Merusa: _'Twas a rather good idea to get CQ to write that chapter, if I do say so myself… ;) Still going on Brethren of Ares…_

HarryGinny: _I wouldn't be too sure of that…_

MsMissProngs: _Erm…you said what with a who now?_


	52. The Order Reconvenes

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Sorry about the delay – my muses have been on holiday again, it seems. Still, I have the next chapter already written, and as soon as I get it back from CQ I'll post it too, should only be a day or two. Once again, a million thanks to CQ for her brilliant job as Beta. Now, on with the chapter!_

It was seven very exhausted Gryffindors that stumbled down to breakfast on Saturday morning. The week of training had been intense, although, in Harry's opinion, well worth it.

James and Tonks had run them through many different exercises and tests, trying to find each student's strength. Hermione, for example, had begun to master 'Phasing', or the ability to instantaneously move oneself a few feet in any direction, obviously quite useful in a duel and more than making up for her lack of agility. Ron had spent most of the time practicing the different forms of raw magic that James had demonstrated, and could now duplicate the wall-running feat with relative ease – although he also had the sense to jump off the wall at the appropriate time.

Isabelle had shown an aptitude for personal Transfiguration, possibly because of her Animagi abilities, and had worked closely with Tonks to develop these skills. It was rather unnerving to see the ex-Slytherin turn her entire forearm into a razor-sharp scythe-like blade and back again, seemingly at will.

Rather surprisingly, neither Alex nor Cassie had shown any specific aptitudes, although this didn't seem to overly bother them.

'Hey, we're just multi-talented,' Alex had quipped after one of their lessons, earning him a scowl from a tired and rather irritable Ron.

Harry was beginning to learn some control over his Familiar, although his attention still tended to wander at a critical moment – and the results, while usually humorous, were also unpredictable. The Basilisk seemed to genuinely want to help, although it's definition of 'help' and Harry's own seemed to be world apart. At least Ginny no longer seemed to be affected by everything he did, as she had previously.

Finally, Ginny had proven to be reasonably talented at Glamoury, a form of illusionary magic that involved tampering with the perceptions of others.

'It's not _technically_ legal for anyone to use it who doesn't have a license from the Ministry,' Tonks had explained in a rather pained voice.

'I hardly think it matters at this point, Nymph,' James pointed out.

'Well…no, I suppose not,' Tonks had sighed. 'Just _please_ don't use it unless you absolutely have to!'

And so Saturday was on them before they even realised. Harry truly felt sorry for the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams – the second game of the year was to be held today, only two days before the start of the tournament. There were several people on each team entered, so the game was rather poor timing for them.

Ron watched disinterestedly as the two teams left the Hall. 'I wish them the best of luck,' he said with a yawn, 'but I'm going back to bed.'

Harry blinked. This was the first time in his Hogwarts career than Ron had willingly missed a game of Quidditch. He was usually one of the first ones at the pitch, no matter the teams playing.

'Yeah, sounds like a plan,' Alex rubbed his eyes. 'Bloody hell, I never want to see that classroom again!'

'Well, look at it this way,' Hermione said, her lowered voice barely carrying under the noise in the Hall. 'Do you want to beat Malfoy or not?'

''Course I do,' Alex scowled across the Hall to where the blonde Slytherin sat between Crabbe and Goyle. 'I'm gonna smash his bloody face in, and I'm going to enjoy myself immensely.'

'Hear hear, mate,' Ron yawned again.

'I think you need more sleep, Ron,' Cassie noted cheekily.

'Gee, you think?' Ron shot back. 'How very observant of you.'

'Now, now, children, keep it civil,' Isabelle smirked at them.

'I'll keep _you_ civil,' Ron said sourly.

'Ron, that doesn't even make _sense_!' Hermione said in exasperation. 'Come on, you're going back to bed.' And with that she stood, grabbed his arm, and dragged him out of the hall.

'Hermione's gone all gung-ho all of a sudden,' Cassie noted. 'I wonder why?'

'Gung-ho?' Ginny asked in confusion.

'Muggle thing,' Alex told her. 'Never mind.'

Harry had to agree – it was rather peculiar behaviour for Hermione, and he had no clue what could be causing it. He supposed it was probably just Ron, yet again – which meant he had little to no business butting in. _Surely Hermione would tell me if anything major was happening?_

But even so, there was the small niggling doubt that refused to go away.

'Mister Potter,' Professor McGonagall approached the Gryffindor table that night at dinner. 'Professor Dumbledore would like to see you all in his office tonight.'

'Thanks, Professor,' Harry replied politely. McGonagall nodded swiftly, then turned and made her way back up towards the Head table.

'Order?' Isabelle asked under her breath.

'Probably,' Harry agreed. 'He did say that McGonagall would tell us when there was one on.'

As soon as they had finished eating, the seven made their way up to Dumbledore's office. Harry opened the gargoyle that blocked the entrance, and the revolving staircase deposited them in front of the imposing door.

'Enter,' the Headmaster's voice came from within, and Harry pushed the door open.

'So nice of you to finally join us,' Snape said bitingly as they filed into the room. Aside for the Potions Master and Dumbledore, the room also contained Professor McGonagall, Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Emmeline Vance, and –

'Ronald and Ginevra Weasley!'

'Aw heck,' Ron groaned as Mrs Weasley bustled forwards, an angry expression on her face.

'What in Merlin's name do the two of you think you're doing, signing up for the Order without asking me first?'

'Hi Mum,' Ginny said brightly, ignoring the outburst.

'Don't you "hi Mum" me, young lady,' Mrs Weasley said in a dangerous tone. 'You are both in a lot of trouble!'

'Molly, please, we have been through this already,' Dumbledore said, his beard twitching as he fought not to smile.

'Don't you start again, Headmaster,' Mrs Weasley turned to glare at him. 'I'm still not happy with you, either.'

'Mum, please,' Ron started. 'We –'

'I don't care!' Mrs Weasley near screeched. 'You deliberately went against your parents wishes!'

'Molly!' Mad-Eye thundered, and the room instantly stilled. 'Another time, please,' he said gruffly.

'Thankyou, Alastor,' Dumbledore murmured as Mrs Weasley glared at him, but re-took her seat. 'Now, we have several important points to cover tonight, so I'd suggest we get on with it. Severus, are you any closer to synthesising that potion?'

'Unfortunately not, Headmaster,' Snape stood and glanced around the room almost disdainfully. 'I am still having some difficulty getting the mix right, so as to make it not too strong but not too weak. I would estimate another few weeks ought to be enough.'

'Excellent,' Dumbledore nodded approvingly. 'Remus, the housing situation?'

'We've got another few places warded and ready to go,' Remus replied as Snape sat again. 'We'll have another two ready within a week, which should get the number of people at Headquarters manageable again.'

Dumbledore nodded again. 'Sooner than I had expected, well done. Emmeline, the Dursley's?'

At the sound of his relative's name, Harry's ear's pricked up. He had not been back to see them since Dumbledore had revealed they were at the castle – he had seen no particular need.

'The wards are almost ready,' the stately old witch replied. 'I would give a few more days for them to strengthen, and it should be possible for the Muggles to return to their home.'

'Excellent work,' Dumbledore smiled. 'I, for one, will be glad to have them out of Hogwarts.'

'Professor?' All eyes turned at Ginny as she stood. 'Does that mean Harry will have to go back to them this summer?'

Dumbledore nodded reluctantly, and Harry's heart sank. 'I am afraid so, Miss Weasley. It is still the safest place for him to be, the events of the summer passed not withstanding. We have strengthened the wards on the house, and we will be doubling the number of guards. It will be perfectly safe.'

'That's what you said last time,' Ron muttered. Fortunately his mother didn't hear him.

'Professor?' Isabelle half raised her hand. 'What am I going to do for the summer holidays? My mother…well, you all know about her, and my Aunt was killed during the last Death Eater attack on London.'

'Why on earth didn't you tell me?' Alex demanded.

'It wasn't important,' she shrugged.

'I do not know, Miss Lestrange,' Dumbledore said, his voice troubled. 'Perhaps you can stay at Headquarters. We shall see as the date comes nearer what options present themselves.'

'Why can't I stay at Headquarters too?' Harry demanded.

'Don't be so thick, Potter,' Snape sneered.

'Severus,' Dumbledore said warningly.

'Sorry, Headmaster,' Snape said, sounding anything but.

Dumbledore removed his half-moon glasses and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. 'Harry, you know that while Headquarters is relatively safe, it still does not have any of your blood relatives living there, and therefore is not as secure as your Aunt and Uncle's house.'

'What, like it was so secure before?' Harry said bitterly. Ginny squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, replacing his glasses on his crooked nose. The Order members present were watching him carefully, waiting to see how he reacted. 'We shall see as the date grows closer, Harry.' None in the room missed the Headmaster using Harry's first name, and they both received several curious stares.

'Now,' Dumbledore straightened in his chair, and fixed his piercing gaze on the seven students in the room. 'I have reason to believe that you have all been taking some…extracurricular training this past week?'

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, wondering what to tell the Headmaster. Isabelle solved their problem by simply saying, 'Yes sir, we have.'

'I see,' Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as they turned to Tonks, who had removed her Invisibility cloak and was now squirming uncomfortably. 'Nymphadora, would you care to comment?'

Tonks sighed, settling heavily into one of the comfortable seats that lined the office. 'James,' she said shortly.

'Headmaster, I really must protest his presence in this school,' Emmeline Vance interjected. 'He is reckless, unreliable, and we still have no solid confirmation of his loyalty. How do we know he is not working for Voldemort on the side, as he was last time?'

'A fair question,' Dumbledore granted. 'Very well, I will tell you why I have such confidence in James' current loyalty.' Out of the corner of his eye. Harry noticed both Alex and Cassie's expression's tighten, although where Cassie merely looked sad, Alex looked about ready to start smashing things – or people. 'Early this year, or possibly at the very end of last year, Death Eaters approached James with a proposition – that he should join them or suffer the consequences. James being James, he ignored them – and the result was that his wife was brutally raped and murdered in from of his children's very eyes.'

A shocked gasp ran through the room – Emmeline looked about ready to be sick, and Moody had a very ugly expression on his face. Cassie's eyes filled with tears, and her twin leaned over to wrap a comforting arm about her shoulders, his face still filled with a towering, albeit tightly controlled, rage.

'He is not so much with us as against the Dark Lord,' Dumbledore said gently. 'He will do everything within his considerable power to see that he falls.'

'I…' Emmeline faltered, her usual composure temporarily deserting her. 'I am sorry, Headmaster. I never knew.'

'What I have told you does not go beyond this room,' Dumbledore said, looking around the room warningly.

'Of course it doesn't, nothing ever does,' Moody said in a disgusted tone. 'I wonder if Milton needs any help when he goes after that son of a bitch.'

'Regardless,' Dumbledore said with a faint smile, 'there is still the issue of him training students without my permission.'

'What, you're going to complain about him teaching us to defend ourselves?' Harry demanded, tired of all the convoluted talk.

'Of course not,' Dumbledore said mildly. 'I just wish he'd come to me first, is all. I'm sure I could have made a few suggestions that would have benefited you all.'

Harry stared at the Headmaster, not quite sure what to say.

'Now,' he addressed the students, 'you all have a rather full week ahead of you, so I'd suggest you all get as much rest as possible.'

'Potter, a word,' Moody said gruffly as they stood and made to file out of Dumbledore's office.

'What?' Harry asked shortly as Ginny, the last in line, slipped out the door.

'Not here,' Moody muttered, then turned to look at the Headmaster. 'If that's all, Albus?'

'By all means,' Dumbledore gave them leave, and Harry rather warily followed the grizzled Auror from the room.

'You shouldn't be so hard on Dumbledore,' Moody said suddenly as they reached the bottom of the winding staircase and started down the corridor. Harry's eyes widened momentarily in shock, but quickly narrowed again.

'Why shouldn't I?' Harry shot back. He knew it was probably not a good idea to speak like that to Mad-Eye Moody, but he was beyond caring. _Not like he can do anything to you anyway, otherwise they'll never get rid of Voldemort_, said a snide little voice in his head.

'Because, Potter, he's the only one who actually knows what you're going through,' Moody growled, his magical eye spinning every-which-way as it looked for anyone who might be eavesdropping.

'Yeah, right, how could he?' Harry muttered darkly.

'Because he's been through all this before, you arrogant little twit,' Moody ground out. 'Or have you forgotten what happened between him and Grindelwald?'

'What's that got to…' A memory dawned on Harry suddenly, of reading the back of a Chocolate Frog card on the Hogwarts Express way back in first year. 'Dumbledore defeated him,' he said slowly.

'Yes he bloody well did,' Moody confirmed. 'So if you think you're the only one who's ever had to go through this, think again. But don't take my word for it, ask James. After all, he was there.'

Moody turned and stumped back towards the entrance to the Headmaster's office. 'You might want to think about that,' he called back over his shoulder before he vanished up the stairs, leaving Harry to make his way back to Gryffindor tower alone, his mind whirling with questions.

_A/N: Next Chapter: the Tournament begins! Who's looking forward to seeing Malfoy get flattened?_

_POLL: Who gets to flatten Malfoy? The one with the most votes gets the prize…_

_A. Harry_

_B. Ron_

_C. Alex_

_D. Isabelle_

_You have about two weeks to get your votes in. I'm so looking forward to writing this scene…_

_Review Responses:_

mosleyn001: _You gave me a great idea with your last comment…cheers!_

gpotter: _Nope, never got the PoA DVD…I can't stand the movies, myself. The casting is great, but…they changed too much. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I feel like hitting things every time I see a stuff up…and they made Lupin look like a complete tosser! Grr!_

Phoenix-Of-Hogwarts: _Oh boy…I feel this needs some explanation. I'd like to state from the outset I have nothing against Americans – in fact, I have quite a few American friends. My problem is with the overwhelming arrogance the American nation displays in its dealings with foreign nations, as well as the 'there's no problem that can't be fixed with liberal application of bullets and/or bombs' philosophy the American government has displayed since the end of the Second World War. As an Australian, I take pride in my nation, and the amount of Americans that talk down to me simply because I'm not American…well, it tends to piss me off fairly effectively. I'm sorry if it offends you, but I think Americans as a group are generally unaware of exactly how low their international standing is – the 'great' American nation has become a bit of a joke in the last few decades. But like I said, my problem is with the American government – not Americans themselves._

Comet Moon: _That was more wishful thinking than anything else._

MrsSakuraPotter: _Erm…thanks, I think…_

DragonSoul:_ Indeed it is, my friend, although over here it was published as a trilogy (Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon). Probably my second favourite fantasy series, after Eddings – but who the heck is Piers Anthony? The series was written by Raymond Fiest…_

Merusa: _(blinks) Was that…comment aimed at me? And if so, what'd I do? Nothing wrong with being jealous of a character in a fic…but would you REALLY want to trade places?_

Dree: _It's all CQ's fault…_

the-moonlight-path: _I know what you mean, but it's deliberate – there is method in the madness, my friend. Trust me._

Elmire:_ You'd think so…the problem is, my muses don't seem to know how to take 'no' for an answer. Don't worry, I'm used to long, rambly reviews – I give enough of them myself, so keep them coming. :)_

jwhit-moony: _If you even think about it, I swear I won't update for a month…and I'm sure I can persuade CQ to join me…_

Lord Sauron the Deciever: _So you beat us…once. Did you see the game we played against Pakistan? Absolutely FLOGGED the poor bastards…pity Lehmann was out for 5, though…_

MsMissProngs: _Natha lorulm luth gumash luth izil mzilt lorulm izil natha lorulm luth gumash luth ka natha lorulm luth gumash luth lorulm. ;p_


	53. Tournament, Part I

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: My apologies for the long wait, but I wanted to be sure I had this right. This chapter is being posted un-Beta'ed, as CQ is having trouble with her computer. Now, let us all pray she gets said problems resolved asap, so she can begin work on her next masterpiece._

_Oh yes, I almost forgot – two stories I'm Beta'ing have been nominated for the Accio! Fanfiction Awards. Big round of applause for Whimsical Firefly (Sirius' Choice) and CreativeQuill (Trust) – and if you haven't read their stories already, what more incentive do you need, exactly?_

Monday dawned to find the grounds of Hogwarts covered by the thick layer of white, the results of a heavy snowstorm the night before. Classes had been cancelled for this last week of term, and a feeling of tense excitement could be felt throughout the castle, most notably within those who would compete in the tournament.

Harry woke early, that same sense of excitement translating itself into nervousness. He wasn't really worried about his own performance, rather that of those students he had taught – it would directly reflect on his ability to teach, and would show once and for all if he'd actually accomplished something over the last few months, or if he'd been wasting his time.

His heart almost stopped when he felt something stirring beside him in bed, only to realise it was Ginny – he didn't think he'd _ever_ get used to that. The smirks of his roommates had almost been enough to send him to McGonagall to request a private room – almost. He shuddered to think of what would happen if the stern Deputy-Headmistress ever found out about their sleeping arrangements.

It seemed to take an age, but finally ten o'clock rolled around, and with it the start of the tournament. The Gryffindor competitors left the common room to a rousing cheer from their housemates, and with Harry in the lead they made their way to the Entrance Hall where they found the Slytherin and Ravenclaw entries already in attendance. The Hufflepuffs joined them a moment later.

Harry tried to ignore the smirk on Malfoy's face, concentrating instead on the double doors leading into the Great Hall. They had been told that McGonagall would come to retrieve them when everything was ready.

Finally the doors opened, and McGonagall emerged.

'Good, you're all here,' she nodded curtly. 'When you enter the Hall, I would like you all to go to the corner decorated with your House colours. You will find your Heads of House there with more instructions.' She turned and re-entered the Hall.

'Short and sweet,' Alex muttered as they followed her, making for the corner resplendent in Gryffindor colours. It was not McGonagall who waited for them, though – she had vanished through a side door near where the Staff table usually stood, but now was an empty place.

'Come on, hurry it up,' James grinned at them from the Gryffindor area.

'Professor Milton?' Greg Redfield asked in confusion. 'But –'

'Professor McGonagall has other duties, so I've been appointed temporary Head of Gryffindor for today,' James informed them. 'Now, get your butts into gear and take a seat.'

Smiling, they all did as instructed, each taking a seat on one of the chairs that had appeared at his words.

'Right, we're using standard duelling format for this,' James said. 'Everyone know what that means? Yes? Good, I'll just refresh your memory on the more salient points, then. No physical contact, wands only, nothing lethal.'

'Pity,' Harry heard Alex mutter to Isabelle. 'I was so looking forward to being able to flatten Malfoy again.'

'You still can,' James grinned at his son, obviously having heard every word. 'Just not with your fists. Savvy?'

Alex grinned back viciously. 'Of course, dear father,' he said innocently.

'Good,' James winked at him, then turned back to the rest of the group. 'Right, first round is standard two on two, so you'd best all pick your partners. The first round will begin very, very soon.'

The noise was incredible. Huge stands had been erected around the perimeter of the Hall, and these were filled to overflowing with students, all cheering and waving flags with their House insignia on them. The middle of the room had been cleared, and a standard duelling ring had been drawn on the flagstones, complete with shields to stop stray curses from hitting the crowd.

The first match was between Hermione, Ron, and two seventh year Ravenclaw students. The results were fairly predictable; Hermione took down one boy with an Incapacitator curse, a spell shown to them by Tonks that was an odd combination of a Stunner and Full Body Bind, while Ron took down the second when he managed to deflect the boy's own Disarming Hex back on him with a well timed Shield Charm, and followed up with a Stunner.

'Gryffindor win!' McGonagall's magically amplified voice rang through the Hall, and a very pleased Hermione and Ron made their way back to the Gryffindor corner while Madam Pomphrey rushed out onto the ring to tend to the fallen students.

'Most impressive,' Dumbledore murmured aside to McGonagall, who had retaken her seat next to him. 'Harry seems to have them well educated in defending themselves.'

'He does, rather, doesn't he?' McGonagall said with a note of pride.

The next match was Malfoy and Blaise Zabini against two Hufflepuffs – which ended rather abruptly when one of the Hufflepuffs collapsed in a heap after being hit in the back with a Reductor Curse. The other turned to look at the Teacher's stand, an outraged look on her face, and was taken down by Malfoy's Stunner.

'Cheater!' Ron roared from his place beside Harry as the majority of the crowd booed and Malfoy swaggered back towards his housemates. 'You can't do that!'

'He can, actually,' James said grimly as the girl hit with the Reductor Curse was stretchered from the ring, a smoking hole in the back of her robes. 'It's bad form, but since it's not actually lethal, there's no rules that says he can't. You all have to be very, very careful against the Slytherins, got that? They won't play around, and they don't have any qualms about hitting you when your back's turned.'

Harry and Ginny, who were partnered and going up against a pair of Slytherin seventh years in their first match, exchanged a slightly worried look.

'Professor,' Harry spoke up a moment later. 'Could you do that spell on me again? The one that cuts my link to…you know.'

James looked at him closely, then shook his head. 'You Gryffindors are far too noble for your own good,' he muttered. 'Why on earth would you give up your biggest advantage?'

'Because Voldemort doesn't know about it yet, does he?' Harry said with a smile. 'No point tipping my hand before I'm ready, is there?'

James stared at him for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. 'Every time I think I've got you pegged, you go ahead and surprise me,' he chuckled. 'Fine, let's get started, before Malfoy spots anything.'

'The next match between Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley for Gryffindor and Megan Turner and Chris Chambers for Slytherin.' McGonagall's magically amplified voice carried to every corner of the Hall, and from his place in the ring Harry tensed. Ginny stood beside him, her wand at the ready and her back proudly straight. Begin!'

Harry immediately shot a Stunner at Chris and dove out of the way of his return spell, which judging by the way it sizzled against the flagstones, couldn't have been pleasant. He came to his feet a few feet from the shields and levelled his wand at Chris again. The two traded spells for a short time, and Harry was faintly conscious of Ginny doing the same with Megan.

Harry's Shield Charm deflected a Tripping Hex from the Slytherin boy and he returned with an Impediment Jinx that just managed to slip through Chris' defences. The Slytherin's movements slowed, and Harry was just about to follow up with a Stunner when Ginny shoved him out of the way of a Body-Bind from Megan.

'Too slow, Potter!' Chris yelled as he regained full movement and leapt across the ring to join Megan.

'You okay?' Ginny muttered to Harry, who nodded. Ginny's robes were torn at her right shoulder, and a small amount of blood stained the edges of the rip. 'Come on, lets finish these two off. I'm getting bored.'

'Right.' Ginny helped Harry up, and they stood side by side. 'The Dual Defence, you reckon?'

'Worth a try,' Ginny smiled, kneeling in front of him. Harry took a deep breath and levelled his wand to the two smirking Slytherins.

'What, decided not to give up yet?' Megan taunted. 'Really, there's no need for you be humiliated any further, you know.' She followed her statement with a Disarming Hex aimed at Ginny.

'_Speculum!_' she yelled, swishing her wand. The air in front of her appeared to shimmer and curve in on itself, and when the jet of red light reached it, it seemed to elongate. Quite suddenly, the spell reversed course, taking a very surprised Megan in the stomach. Harry deftly Summoned her wand before she could recover, and finished her off with a Stunner.

'Nice trick, Potter,' Chris nodded slightly. 'Pity it won't work twice. _Commoveo!_'

The powerful spell blew through Ginny's shield and struck her injured shoulder. She let out a cry as she was lifted off the ground and spun through the air, landing in a heap a few yards away.

'Gin!' Harry cried, ducking a second spell from Chris. He half spun and sent a Stunner at the Slytherin boy, forcing him to duck out of the way, and followed up with a Body-Bind. Chris barely managed to get off a Shield Charm before the spell hit him, deflecting it harmlessly into the ground.

Ginny moaned softly, half sitting up and shaking her head to clear it. 'Ouch,' she muttered. Her whole body ached – evidence of its rather hard impact with the floor. She blinked hard, noting blood flowing over her left eye. Judging by the sharp stinging pain in her forehead, there was a rather large would where her head had hit the stone floor.

She raised her head enough to be able to see Harry and Chris, duelling hard. The Slytherin ducked another spell from Harry, and returned with a Disarming Hex, which Harry deflected with another Shield Charm. Finally seeming to grow tired of the back and forth play, Harry stood his ground, levelled his wand and roared, '_Praecipito!_'

Chris barely had time to let out a startled oath before he was thrown violently across the floor – straight towards Ginny, who by that time had located her wand and cleared her eyes of blood.

'_Stupefy_,' she said through clenched teeth as the helpless Slytherin slid to a stop not four feet from her. He collapsed in a boneless heap as her spell took him cleanly in the chest.

'Gryffindor win!' McGonagall's voice echoed through the Hall once again, accompanied by a round of cheers from not only the Gryffindors, but also the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who enjoyed seeing Slytherins put in their place.

Harry didn't hear the great wall of noise, however – he was far more concerned with Ginny's wellbeing. He hurried over to her, helping her to her feet.

'Are you alright?' he asked breathlessly as she smiled wanly up at him.

'I'm fine, Harry,' she assured him as Madam Pomphrey rushed into the ring to tend the two downed Slytherins. 'Just a scratch.' She tried to take a step but her legs buckled beneath her, and if not for Harry's firm grip she would have slid back to the ground.

'Come on, you need to sit down,' Harry wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders. 'You took a pretty bad hit, you know.'

'Yeah, I suppose,' she sighed, allowing Harry to help her to the Gryffindor corner. James met them there, a concerned look in his eyes.

'Bring her here,' he ordered, indicating a chair. Harry led her to the chair and helped her sit, trying not to fuss as she winced in pain.

James ran his hands over her shoulder, frowning in concentration. A soft blue glow emanated from his palms. 'Broken shoulder,' he murmured. 'That spell must have hit pretty hard.'

'Broken shoulder?' Harry asked, startled.

'I didn't even notice,' Ginny said ruefully.

James shook his head. 'Gryffindors,' he muttered under his breath. 'Hang on a minute, I'll just go get Madam Pomphrey, she'll be able to fix this up quick smart. And you,' he pointed almost menacingly at Ginny, 'are not to move a muscle until I get back. Have I made myself clear?'

'Perfectly, sir,' it was now Ginny's turn to be startled as James stalked away, his robes billowing out behind him in a very Snape-ish manner.

'What was _that_ all about?' Ginny asked in bewilderment.

Alex chuckled. 'Dad gets a bit overprotective sometimes. Count yourself lucky, you have the most powerful man in England looking out for you. Well, except for maybe Dumbledore and Voldemort.'

They were silent until James returned with Madam Pomphrey, each lost in their own thoughts. Once she had seen to Ginny's shoulder, and checked her over for any other injuries, she declared her fit enough and left.

'Not one to waste words, is she?' Isabelle said dryly as they watched the matron's retreating back.

'They never are,' James said cryptically. Harry was distracted from trying to puzzle out his meaning when McGonagall called out the next match – Alex and Isabelle verses two Ravenclaws. The match was pretty much a foregone conclusion – between Alex's enormous repertoire of spells and Isabelle's Slytherin-learned cunning, the Ravenclaws never knew what hit them.

'That was easy,' Alex remarked as he and Isabelle returned to the Gryffindor corner, although he was limping slightly where he had been hit by a stray curse.

'Don't get overconfident,' Hermione warned, but he waved her off.

'I know, Hermy,' he said resignedly.

'Don't call me that,' she said rather testily.

'Of course not, Hermy,' he replied amicably. Hermione dropped her head into her hands and groaned.

The next match was between Aaron Davis and Greg Redfield for Gryffindor and two Hufflepuff sixth years. Harry almost groaned aloud when Aaron was hit almost immediately by a Disarming Hex, and eliminated. Greg did alright, managing to take down one of his rivals with a Body-Bind, but was Stunned soon after.

'Too bad, mate,' Ron said sympathetically as the pair as they made their way back to the corner after being checked out by Madam Pomphrey.

'Ahh well, better luck next time,' Greg shrugged.

'Shouldn't have underestimated the 'Puffs,' Aaron muttered to himself.

'Probably not the best idea, no,' Alex agreed with him.

Gryffindor won their last match of the day – Michael Wilde and Elizabeth Richmond duplicated Harry and Ginny's earlier trick, and managed to Stun both their fifth year Slytherin opponents in one attack.

'They were only fifth years,' Michael shrugged off any congratulations later. 'I'd imagine seventh years would have put up more of a fight. Besides, we just copied Harry and Ginny's idea, so we can't really take the credit.'

'Well, it certainly worked better for you than it did for us,' Ginny said ruefully, moving her shoulder experimentally.

'True enough, I suppose,' Michael granted. 'Cheers anyway for giving us the idea.'

The final tally ended with Gryffindor on four wins, one loss, Ravenclaw on three wins, two losses, Hufflepuff on one wins, four losses, and Slytherin on two wins, three losses. Harry felt a little sorry for the Hufflepuffs – he watched Professor Sprout comforting her downcast students, of which eight had been eliminated in only the first round of duels.

'Poor sods,' Ron muttered, coming to stand beside Harry.

'Better them than us, though,' Alex commented, moving to stand on Harry's other side. 'Still, four wins, we're not doing too badly, are we?'

'No, I suppose not,' Harry sighed. 'Even so…' He left it hanging.

'I'm just happy to see the Slytherins getting their arses kicked,' Ron said in satisfaction.

'Ron!' Hermione scolded him. 'I've told you, this isn't about –'

'I _know_, Hermione,' Ron interrupted her, rolling his eyes in Harry's direction, who smiled faintly. 'I'm just saying, is all.'

'Yes, well, in the future, _don't_ just say,' Hermione huffed.

'Women,' Ron muttered aside to Harry and Alex.

'Hear, hear,' Alex chuckled, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Isabelle, who was chatting with Ginny, using exaggerated arm movements to illustrate whatever point she was trying to make. 'I never know what this one is going to do next.'

'You never do, mate,' Ron clapped him on the shoulder. 'You never bloody do.'

_A/N: I know there's a spelling mistake in there somewhere, I just can't find the bloody thing. (mutters under his breath about a lack of Betaing). And this time, I PROMICE the next chapter will be out tomorrow! Really!_

_Review Responses:_

_(Thanks to everyone who reviewed and voted – it's down to Harry or Isabelle, so keep the votes coming!)_

dress-without-sleeves: Nice to see I can still make people break their own rules. ;p _You've just been promoted to one of my favourite reviewers, you know that? It took me a solid ten minutes to stop laughing when I got that review. I seriously considered deleting it, but I figured I'd leave it up for the entertainment value. Now, if they'd left an e-mail address, they'd probably get a very long dissertation on the psychological reasons Harry is, in fact, very unlikely to notice an feelings for Ginny, meaning that as the book is from his point of view, as pointed out by Mr/Mrs Anonymous, THEY WON'T BE IN THE BOOKS UNTIL HE REALISES HE HAS THEM. Whoops…sorry, didn't mean to yell at you…but the amount of people who understand the human psyche NOT AT ALL and then make an idiot of themselves by making comments like that…well, it's rather amusing, to say the least. And Harry has plenty of reasons to fall for Ginny…if Mr/Mrs Anonymous actually READ the books, they'd see that. The number of hints and clues is staggering…hence the reason H/G is the single most popular ship in HP fanfiction. Erm…whoops, I'm rambling again, aren't I? Sorry…and you might want to get the poor cat looked at – falling out a window can't be a good thing…oh yes, there is a reason Cass is still single, but you'll have to wait to find out what it is. (Cass: Yeah, I have to be the one that suffers while everyone else is off having snogging contests. pouts JM: Hush, you.)_

Whimsical Firefly: _Yes, I know he doesn't usually do that sort of thing…but in James' case, I reckon he'd make an exception. Remember his past…it's a little more extreme than Snape's._

Terris: _Percy's_ _coming up soon, I assure you. Probably at Christmas._

stayathomedad: _I hadn't heard that one before…I'll have to find a way to work it in somewhere._

Katie: _I'm trying to put in a bit of fluff here and there, but my Muses aren't cooperating at the moment…they keep demanding more action scenes. Stupid bloody Muses…(shakes fist)_

Shorty: _Now Bella, how could you suggest such a thing? Isabelle would never "accidentally" flatten Snape. It would be entirely deliberate – and he'd know it, too. And of course I can rig it – I'm the author. So nya. _:p

Perenelle: _A Mongoose? What the?_

Merusa: _Deranged father figure…I like that. It suits Moody…As for Ares, I haven't had much reading time lately, but it's on my list of things to read…(discretely bumps it up a few spaces)_

KumoriKage: _Keyword, "yet" (smirks)_

Lion of Gryffindor: _New Zealand? Why in Merlin's name would you want to go there when Australia is so close? ;)_

bluemonkeyman: _Nope. Ginny's good, but she's not as good as, say, Hermione. Whoops, did I say that out loud?_

mimiham: _I have to ask, did you actually read my response to Phoenix of Hogwarts, or are you just assuming? Because no offence, but if you managed to extrapolate what you were commenting on from what I said, I can't really say much about your intelligence. Go back and read it again – and pay attention this time, yes?_

Maximillian1: _Vel'bol natha waele klez ulu xun._

UnRealityCheck: _I never said Moody was right…_

magickk: _Erm…I'm not really that much like James, although he does have a few of my qualities – I just gave him a few of my speech patterns, is all._

MsMissProngs: _(scowls) Bugger, you're good…and I used Drow because a) I like the language and b) I was fairly sure you'd be unfamiliar with it. Incidentally, Drow is the ancient name for the Dark Elves of Faerun. Just so you know. (mutters about stupid Google searches spoiling fun)_

hmm: _There is a massive difference between invading someone and protecting yourself and your country. Think about it._

texasjeanette: _As I said to UnRealityCheck, I never said Moody was right…_

Larna Mandrea: _Why, thankee!_

Daimen Darkstar: _Cheers, I'll remember that one._


	54. Tournament, Part II

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Told you it would be out today! (is proud)_

_WARNING: This chapter contains some underage drinking. We all know it happens, we all did it. If anyone complains, I'll bite their heads off. Savvy? (Don't go catatonic on me, Merusa…)_

As the undisputed champions of the day, the party in the Gryffindor common room was long and loud that night. The second round would not take place until Wednesday, and since there were no classes running Tuesday there were few qualms about staying up very late, especially when James joined the party and, in a rather blatant disregard for his duties as a Professor, started transfiguring innocent Butterbeer into far more potent Muggle drinks.

'I'm not really sure he should be doing that,' Hermione said disapprovingly from where the Trio and Ginny were sitting as Seamus collected a glass of whiskey from the Professor, much to the Irish boy's delight.

'Ahh, shut up Hermy,' Alex said as he joined them, a glass of bourbon and cola held loosely in his hand. 'He knows when to stop, he's not going to let anyone get sloshed. It's just a bit of fun, so stop being such a wet blanket.' He took a sip from his glass. 'Besides, he's only serving to the fifth years and above.'

'Oh, so that makes it alright, does it?' Hermione asked acidly.

'Chill, Hermy,' Cassie slid into a seat beside her brother. She too held a glass of bourbon. 'You know very well that people would be drinking tonight anyway, and wouldn't you rather a responsible adult was present to curb excesses?' She grinned slyly at the other witch. 'Try some,' she said, offering her glass. 'You might even enjoy it.'

'I hardly think so,' Hermione said tartly. 'And _will_ you two stop calling me that?'

'Probably not,' Alex said blandly.

'Too much fun,' Cassie agreed.

'Snowball's chance in hell,' Alex said pleasantly. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Harry glanced sideways at Ginny, who was covering her giggles with a fake cough.

'Harry?' Alex offered his glass. 'Wanna try some?'

'I dunno,' he said, eyeing the glass warily.

'I'll give it a go,' Ron reached out for the glass, but a voice from behind them made him freeze.

'And just what do you think you're doing, little brother?'

'Come on Charlie,' Ron complained, turning to face the second eldest Weasley, who had just climbed through the portrait hole and was now standing with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face. 'You can't stop me, I know what _you_ used to get up to while you were at school.'

Charlie held up his hands in surrender. 'Fair enough, I'll keep your secrets if you'll keep mine. Deal?'

'Deal,' Ron grinned. He grabbed the glass from Alex's hand and took a long drink.

'Steady on,' Alex laughed. 'That's my bourbon you're drinking! If you want more, go get your own.'

'Tastes good,' Ron stated as he handed the glass back.

'Bourbon?' Charlie shook his head. 'You want to try a real drink.' From behind his back he produced a large bottle of Firewhiskey.

'You've got to let me try some,' Ron begged. Harry glanced at Ginny and motioned with his head. The two of them slipped away as Alex and Charlie started an argument over whether bourbon or Firewhiskey was the better drink.

'Alex has no idea what he's getting himself into,' Ginny giggled when they were finally in the corridor outside the common room. 'Charlie's always loved a good argument, he's even worse than Ron is. I bet you ten Galleons it'll turn into a drinking contest.'

'No bet,' Harry grinned. 'I'd imagine there will be some monumental headaches by morning.'

'So where do you want to go?' Ginny asked after a moment.

'Dunno,' Harry shrugged. 'There's still a couple of hours before curfew, we could go for a walk outside, if you want?'

'I'd love to,' Ginny said warmly.

They made their way down through the castle and into the Entrance Hall, and from there outside the massive double doors. They turned towards the lake, walking in silence except for the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Far to their left, almost hidden from view, they could see lights on in the Greenhouses, probably Professor Sprout tending to her plants.

'Full moon,' Ginny broke the silence, her eyes fixed on the clear sky.

'Yeah,' Harry sighed softly. 'Makes me wonder how Professor Lupin is doing.'

'That does take a bit of the shine off,' Ginny agreed. They walked on in silence until they reached the beech tree near the lake – the same tree that the Marauders had been sitting under the day they had tortured Snape. Harry spread his cloak under the branches and they sat side by side. He wrapped his arm around Ginny and pulled her close.

'I used to go to the top of the hill near the Burrow when I was little,' Ginny said in a subdued voice. 'During the full moon, there was always enough light for me to see by. Right at the top there's a clearing where I'd stop and lay on the grass and just watch the moon for hours.' She smiled wryly. 'Used to drive Mum mad, although she never really had the heart to scold me.'

Harry rested his head on the top of hers. 'When Aunt Petunia used to lock me in the cupboard under the stairs, there was this little window that would catch the moonlight for a little while, when it was at the right angle. It was the only light I had, so I used to sit up and wait for it if I knew it would be a full moon.'

Ginny said nothing, just tightened her hold on him. They sat in silence for quite a while, watching the moon rise higher into the sky, simply content to be together.

Footsteps crunching in the snow alerted them to another person approaching. Harry's right hand moved to his left wrist, where Zith was curled once again holding his wand, and Ginny drew her own from beneath her robes.

'There you two are!' Cassie rounded the trunk of the tree. 'I've been looking everywhere! McGonagall reckons you need to come inside.'

'Yeah, okay,' Harry nodded, pulling Ginny to her feet and retrieving his cloak.

'So, how's Alex?' Ginny asked innocently as they started to walk back to the castle.

Cassie laughed. 'Completely pissed, as you probably well know,' she said. 'Remind me to never get into a drinking contest with your brother, at least when Firewhiskey is involved.'

'I'll make a note of it,' Ginny replied with a smile.

They met Hermione in the Entrance Hall. She was scowling in the general direction of Gryffindor Tower, and didn't notice their approach until Cassie tapped her on the shoulder.

'Oh, you found them, good,' she said absently.

'You alright, Hermy?'

'Fine, fine,' Hermione waved the older girl away, not even noticing the use of her hated nickname. Cassie shot a pointed look at Harry, who shrugged. How was _he_ supposed to know?

Ginny caught Cassie's eye and mouthed '_Ron_'. Cassie nodded in understanding, and rolled her eyes.

'Come on, we'd best get back to Gryffindor Tower, it's not long 'till curfew,' Cassie said, taking hold of Hermione's elbow and leading her up the marble staircase. Harry and Ginny followed, sharing an amused look.

Tuesday went by fairly quietly. Harry staged an impromptu training session for the Gryffindors in the Room of Requirement, which Alex didn't attend owing, in the words of his amused twin, to a 'bloody roaring headache'. Charlie, who had come to oversee the session, seemed vastly amused by this, and spent a good ten minutes laughing with Cassie about Alex's lack of drinking ability.

Finally Wednesday came, and with it the second round of the tournament. It wasn't until the whole school had once again assembled in the Great Hall that Dumbledore announced the terms.

'One on one, Housemate against Housemate,' he said to the suddenly silent room. 'All entries will have a match against one member of their own house.'

'This could be interesting,' Alex remarked as the Hall erupted into noise.

'Well, you didn't expect them to make it easy, did you?' Isabelle asked dryly.

Since the Gryffindors had the most entries left, they went first with Hermione up against Ginny.

'Good luck,' Harry whispered to Ginny as she left to take her place in the ring.

'I heard that,' Hermione said over her shoulder. Harry shrugged apologetically as Ginny grinned at him.

The fight lasted quite a while, Ginny's agility and defensive ability playing off against Hermione's vast knowledge. Finally Hermione managed to get a Stunner past Ginny's hastily erected Shield Charm, and the youngest Weasley fell to the crowd's cheers.

'Nicely done, Hermione,' James praised as the two witches made their way back to Gryffindor corner after Ginny had been revived by Madam Pomphrey.

'Sorry, Ginny,' Hermione apologised as they sat, Harry pulling Ginny close.

Ginny waved the apology away. 'It was a duel, you were supposed to try your best,' she said calmly. 'Congratulations, by the way. You were brilliant.'

Hermione turned slightly pink at the compliment, and Ron grinned at his sister from over her shoulder.

'The next match shall be between Alexander Milton and Isabelle Lestrange,' McGonagall announced.

'Looks like we're up,' Alex murmured into his girlfriend's ear. 'Shall we?' he extended his hand to her.

'We shall,' she said, swatting his hand away and getting to her feet. 'And may the best of us win.'

'Oh hell,' Harry heard Alex mutter as the two of them made their way to the ring.

'Begin!' McGonagall's voice resounded through the Hall, and Alex was almost immediately forced to duck Isabelle's opening spell.

'Son of a –' Alex swore, diving out of the way. He raised his head just in time to dodge the Reductor Curse Isabelle had followed up with.

He leapt to his feet, pivoting the top half of his body and levelling his wand. '_Commoveo!_'

Isabelle easily dodged his curse, returning with a Disarming Hex. Alex blocked it with a Shield Charm, and followed up with a Stunner. This continued for a while, the two of them throwing curses back and forth, until Alex managed slip a Tripping Hex through Isabelle's defences. She swore as she tumbled forwards, loosing her grip on her wand in the process. She half turned in the air, landing on her side, and rolled back to her feet. Before Alex could move she dove for her wand, scooping it up as he sent an Impediment Jinx at her, which she used her momentum to dodge. She rolled to her feet again, and Alex barely had time to flinch before a Body Bind hit him cleanly in the chest. He immediately went rigid and toppled to the ground with a painful thump.

'Well I'll be damned,' he said when Isabelle reversed the curse and helped him to his feet. 'Nice work.'

'Why, thankyou,' she said, grinning impishly as Madam Pomphrey bustled over to inspect the two of them.

After Alex and Isabelle came Harry and Ron. The outcome was fairly predictable, but Ron wasn't really sore about it.

'Hey, it was Harry who taught me most of what I know about Defence anyway,' he shrugged as he took his seat beside Hermione after the match. He was still a bit unsteady after the rather wide range of curses Harry had used against him.

The final Gryffindor match was between the two seventh years, Michael and Elizabeth. Michael was in good form, using a few spells that even Harry was unfamiliar with and making James whistle in an impressed tone several times, but ultimately Elizabeth emerged the victor.

'Ah well, can't win them all,' Michael shrugged philosophically afterwards.

'Not against me, you can't,' Elizabeth said with a toss of her head.

'Of course,' Michael said in a monotone. 'Where ever did I get the idea I could ever hope to defeat you.'

Elizabeth just laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

The day proceeded quickly after that. The match between the sole surviving Hufflepuffs came next, with the victor a seventh year unfamiliar to Harry. The Ravenclaws were next, and finally the Slytherins – Harry was amused to see Malfoy almost lose his match against one of Isabelle's old dorm-mates.

'Much as I used to hate the bitch,' the ex-Slytherin muttered under her breath to Alex, then yelled, 'Go Jeanette!'

Finally it was all over, with only ten entries left – four Gryffindors, one Hufflepuff, two Ravenclaws and three Slytherins.

'The final round will be on Friday, so until then I suggest you brush up on your techniques,' Dumbledore announced before he dismissed everyone.

'What's _that_ supposed to mean?' Alex muttered to Isabelle as the two of them made their way from the Hall.

'No idea,' she shrugged. 'Knowing Dumbledore, though, it means he's got something probably bizarre in store for us.'

'Probably,' Alex agreed. 'Who knows what he might come up with?'

'Alex!' a voice called from behind them. They both turned to see Cassie hurrying after them.

'Come on, you're needed,' she said when she reached them, grabbing hold of her brother's arm and tugging so hard he almost toppled over.

'Fair go,' he said, pulling his arm from her grip. 'What's so urgent?'

'Something private,' she said with a pointed look at Isabelle.

'Go, Alex,' Isabelle said with a sigh. 'I'll see you in the Common Room later, alright?'

'Fair enough,' Alex said a little dubiously, allowing his twin to lead him away.

Isabelle made her way alone up towards Gryffindor Tower, musing idly on what could so urgently require Alex's attention. She barely even noticed the large group of Gryffindors, mostly from the lower year levels, until several of them blocked the corridor.

Isabelle came to a stop, raising one eyebrow as she gazed at the apparent leader, a stocky fourth year boy standing in the very centre of the corridor. 'Do you want to get out of my way?'

'Shut up, _Slytherin_,' the boy said menacingly – or at least, he obviously thought so. Isabelle didn't find him all that worrying. 'We know what you are, so why don't you just go back to your slimy dungeons and let the real Gryffindors win?'

Although she showed no outward reaction, inwardly she was now seething. _How bloody dare he?!?_

'I see very little reason to listen to the bleating of an unimportant toerag who thinks to gain a reputation by attacking me,' she said coldly. 'Alex Milton is my _boyfriend_, you moron. Of course I wanted him to win, but it was a contest, so I tried my best and won. Now get the hell out of my way before I _make_ you.'

'You don't scare me, _snake_,' the leader sneered, although several of the other students were shooting nervous looks between themselves. 'I'm a _real_ Gryffindor.'

'Oh really?' Isabelle eyed him with contempt. 'I wonder how Harry would view what you're doing now?'

The boy snarled in anger. 'We know how you've lied to Harry Potter, and we're going to put a stop to it, aren't we guys?' There was some fairly unenthusiastic murmuring from the other Gryffindors.

'Something the matter here?' a voice asked mildly from behind Isabelle. She turned her head and spotted Greg Redfield and Aaron Davis coming down the corridor.

'Nothing's wrong, we're just putting a slimy Slytherin in her place,' the leader puffed out his chest importantly.

'Oh?' Aaron asked, looking around exaggeratedly. 'Funny, I don't see any here. Were you just practicing for when you met a real one, then?'

The younger boy scowled at him. 'Her, you moron,' he snarled, pointing at Isabelle.

Greg walked around Isabelle and made some show of inspecting the House Crest on the front of her robes. 'Nope, this looks like the Gryffindor Crest to me,' he said after a while. 'Maybe you need your eyesight checked, Hayden.'

'We know she's really a Slytherin spy,' the boy called Hayden proclaimed, but the rest of the students were beginning to look doubtful. As a member of the Quidditch team, Greg's word carried considerable weight in Gryffindor House.

'Oh really?' Greg raised an eyebrow. 'Maybe it might pay to get a clue before you start trying to discredit people, idiot. She's no more a spy than I am, so get lost and go annoy someone else.'

'Of course, we could always tell Harry you've been annoying his friends,' Aaron said slyly. 'You do remember what happened to the last person who did that, don't you? Or do you need a reminder?'

By now Hayden was looking decidedly nervous.

'Run away, foolish one, before I really do let my Slytherin side out to play,' Isabelle said with a gleam in her eyes. She withdrew her wand from under her robes and fingered it idly, a wicked smile coming to her lips.

'This isn't over, Slytherin,' Hayden spat, then turned tail and ran. The rest of the Gryffindors followed, a few mumbling apologies to Isabelle before they left.

'I'm sure it's not,' she muttered to herself as the last of them rounded a corner at the end of the corridor.

'All right, Isabelle?' Greg asked, concern flitting across his features for the first time.

'I'm fine,' she said dismissively. 'Thanks for the help, though. I was getting very close to hexing that smirk right off his face.'

'We can call him back, if you'd like,' Aaron said brightly.

Isabelle laughed. 'Tempting as it is, we'd better not,' she said with mock regret. 'I'd really rather not see Slytherin win the House Cup this year.'

'Spoken like a true Gryffindor,' Greg grinned, clapping her on the back. 'Come on, we'd better get you back to Gryffindor Tower before something _else_ happens.'

'Might be an idea, yes,' Isabelle agreed, allowing the two boys to lead her away.

_A/N: There now, that wasn't so bad, was it? 11 pages, I think that's one of my longest chapter yet! Go me!_

_Review Responses:_

Merusa: _Yes, I did read the Remus chapter...of course I did! It was rather good, I thought, andfairly in character. Oh, and yes...you really do need to stop that. James is flattered...but his ego is big enough already without you adding to it. (James: I resent that. Dear lady, you continue to do whatever you please.) Oh shut up, you._

weselan: _You were the only person who caught the spelling mistake…cheers!_

B-A-HPlova22: _You're right, it was deliberate. I typed it wrong, but apparently Word doesn't have any problems with it spelled that way – so I left it to see how many people would pick up on it. Stupid spell-checker…_

shotgun: _It's tomorrow…told ya._

MsMissProngs: _Unfair? Heck, you couldn't get it till you turn 16 here, and you'd be 21 by the time you had your full licence…_

JeanieBeanie33: _Really? Hmm…I actually got the names from Resident Evil…a combination of Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers. Meh._

dress-without-sleeves: _You know what the really funny thing is? "Mia" is still reading…although possibly not anymore. Ahh well, I can live with that. You really need to go read her response…check out the reviews for chapter 53, it's in there somewhere. I do like the fact that she just called more than half the greater fanfiction community idiots…and yes, warm and bubbly is good. Some of those pairings are just so, so wrong…Harry/Voldemort is just…warped. Seriously. Although I feel the same about D/G, so who am I to complain?_

Evansk: _Colleges? I'm not sure what our equivalent is, unfortunately…_


	55. A Brief Interlude

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

As it was wont to do, the news of Isabelle's encounter traveled like wildfire through the student body of Hogwarts. Reactions were mixed, and the following day alternated between people asking her if she was all right and practically spitting on her.

'If one more stuck up son of a bitch looks down their nose at me, I'm going to start hexing people,' she muttered darkly to Alex after a particularly unpleasant encounter with a group of third year Hufflepuffs; the only reason they had escaped unscathed was because of the timely intervention of Professor Sinistra.

'I might just join in,' Alex glared so intensely at a group of approaching Ravenclaws that they quailed and dashed up the nearest staircase. 'You'd think a war would help everyone get over their differences for once, but no, they're all too bloody self absorbed to even notice.' He scowled at the flagstones for a moment. 'I think we'd better tell Dad about this,' he said finally. 'He might be able to do something about it.'

'I doubt it,' Isabelle said resignedly, but allowed him to lead her to James' office. The Professor listened to their story, maintaining a stony silence all the while.

'I'll deal with it,' he said curtly when they had finished, ushering them out of his office.

'That was productive,' Isabelle muttered to Alex as they made their way back through the halls towards Gryffindor Tower.

'Don't dismiss him too quickly,' Alex cautioned. 'If he says he's taking care of it, he's taking care of it. Give him some time.'

They rounded a corner to the sight of a furious Harry Potter charging down the corridor towards them.

'Who?' Harry asked Isabelle in a tightly controlled voice when he reached her.

She blinked. 'Who what?'

'Who did it?' Harry's voice grew perceptibly louder.

'Settle down, Harry,' Alex said soothingly. 'It's okay, Dad's already taking care of it.'

'I just got his owl,' Harry said through clenched teeth, raising his fist. A crumpled piece of parchment was barely visible between his white knuckles.

'Oh.' Alex's eyes widened in understanding. 'I see.' _Thanks, Dad._

'Who did it?' Harry repeated.

'It doesn't matter,' Isabelle sighed. 'I've been expecting it to crop up at some point. I'm actually surprised it took this long. I can take care of myself, Harry.'

'Maybe you can,' Harry granted, 'but this is Gryffindor. We don't treat people like that in this House, and certainly not our own.' He thought a moment. 'I'm going to McGonagall,' he said decisively.

'No!' Isabelle caught his arm as he turned to leave. 'She's already not that fond of me,' she explained. 'If we take this to her, she'll think I'm just trying to cause trouble or something.'

'McGonagall's not like that,' Harry objected. 'She's fair.'

'And if McGonagall doesn't do anything about it, I might just have to take things into my own hands,' Alex added grimly, cracking his knuckles dramatically.

'That's enough, both of you,' Isabelle said sharply, and both boys turned to stare at her. 'I can take care of myself, thankyou. I don't need you two to protect me, so bloody well stop it!' And with that she turned on her heel and stalked away.

Alex blinked, a bewildered look crossing his face. 'I don't think I'll ever understand her,' he muttered, shaking his head ruefully.

'So that's it?' Harry demanded. 'We just leave it at that?'

'Not bloody likely,' Alex grinned viciously. 'I reckon this is a job for the Marauders, don't you?'

Harry grinned back. 'I'll find Gin, you find Cass, and we'll meet in the Room of Requirement in fifteen minutes.'

* * *

Dinner that evening was a fairly quiet affair. Most of the students were too busy speculating on the following day's matches to pay attention to much that was happening around them. There were, of course, exceptions.

When Hayden entered the Hall and sat with his friends, the stocky fourth year quite obviously suspected nothing. Harry, Ginny, Cassie and Alex shared a knowing grin – the poor sod would never know what hit him.

Unfortunately, Isabelle caught the grin.

'What have to done now?' She glared at Alex, smacking him in the back of the head with her palm.

'Ouch!' he yelped, shying away from the irate ex-Slytherin. 'Nothing!'

'Why do I not believe you?' Isabelle sighed. 'If you've done anything stupid…'

The rest of her sentence was cut off by a loud scream from the other end of the Gryffindor table. Hayden had leapt to his feet and was now running around in mad circles, desperately trying to extinguish the flames that had replaced his hair. Most of the Hall burst out laughing as he tripped and skidded across the flagstones, still yelling hoarsely.

Slowly, almost excruciatingly so, Isabelle turned to face an innocently smiling Alex. The look dropped when he saw the look of raw fury on her face.

'Watch,' was all he said, nodding towards where Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape had descended from the Staff table to aid the stricken boy.

A wave of Dumbledore's wand, and the flames detached themselves from Hayden's head, taking with them all traces they had ever been there. They rose into the air, now burning on nothing, and began to form letters about ten feet from the ceiling.

_Isabelle Lestrange is under the protection of the Marauders. Touch her, and suffer the consequences._

A few seconds later, underneath the original lettering, blue flames sprang into existence, spelling out a second message.

_You'd make an excellent goat, Mister Hayden._

Harry was fairly sure he saw Dumbledore's beard twitch as the second message completed itself. The Headmaster glanced around the room, seemingly searching out the perpetrators, but when he was facing Harry he gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval.

Isabelle's expression of rage had been replaced by one of disbelief. As Alex watched her carefully, ready for any eruption, her lips twitched slightly. Quite suddenly she broke down, laughing so hard tears started streaming down her face as McGonagall led a terrified looking Hayden from the Great Hall.

'Nice one,' Ron whispered aside to Alex as noise erupted from the Hall – from what Harry could hear, most of it seemed centred around who these "Marauders" were. Harry hid his grin behind his hand.

'I rather thought so,' Alex said modestly, glancing sideways at the still laughing Isabelle. 'The fire was only an illusion, so it didn't really hurt him, but it might just teach him keep his fat mouth shut.'

'I'll pretend I can't hear what you're talking about,' Hermione said from her place next to Ron. 'You're supposed to be a Prefect, Ron, maybe you should start to act like one.' She paused a moment. 'Even if it was rather amusing, and he did deserve it,' she said with a slight smile.

'Why, thankyou, Hermy!' Cassie said brightly.

Hermione turned away, muttering to herself. Ron patted her shoulder comfortingly and flashed Cassie a grin.

'Alright, I admit it,' Isabelle said later, when they had retired to the seats before the fire in the Common Room. Ron and Hermione had disappeared after the meal – Harry had a feeling he really didn't want to know what they were up to. 'That _was_ pretty good, and I'd imagine rather effective.'

'Of course it was,' Alex said loftily. 'It was my idea, after all.'

Isabelle smiled faintly. 'Of course it was, only you would think of setting someone's hair on fire to teach them a lesson.'

'Did you see Dumbledore's reaction to the goat comment?' Ginny laughed. 'I swear, he was smiling under his beard.'

'Handy thing to have, I reckon,' Alex mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

'Don't even think it,' Isabelle said flatly.

'But…' Alex started to object.

Isabelle cut him off by leaning over and kissing him. 'No more of _that_ if there's a beard to contend with,' she warned.

'Right, forget I said anything,' Alex said immediately.

'I'll do that,' Isabelle purred. Harry cleared his throat loudly, and both nearly leapt out of their seats. They had clearly forgotten they had an audience.

'Moving on,' Harry said, managing to keep a straight face. 'What'd you reckon they'll do for tomorrow's matches?'

'I'm guessing either a grand melee or one on one matches,' Alex shrugged. 'That's usually the way they end these things.'

'Yeah, but it's Dumbledore,' Harry objected. 'Which means it could be literally anything.'

'I suppose,' Alex frowned.

'Not like it matters for us, anyway,' Ginny said, indicating herself and Alex. 'We've already been eliminated, remember?'

'I don't fancy going up against Hermione,' Isabelle said with a shudder. 'I've never even heard of half the spells she was using yesterday.'

'Tell me about it,' Ginny rolled her eyes. 'I'm the one who was on the receiving end, remember?'

'At least Malfoy is still in, which means that chances are, one of you will get to pound the little shite,' Alex said with grim satisfaction.

'Oh yes,' Isabelle smiled wickedly. 'I'm very much looking forward to teaching my dear cousin a lesson, and I'll be most put out if anyone else gets to him before I do.'

'I have every confidence in your Malfoy-flattening skills,' Alex grinned at her.

'So you should,' she said loftily.

'In any case, I suppose there isn't much we can do about it now,' Harry said, getting to his feet. 'I reckon I'll head up to bed, so I'll see you both in the morning.'

'Yeah, later Harry,' Alex smirked up at him. 'Go get your rest. You'll need it, if you want to beat this little hellion.' Isabelle smacked him in the back of the head. 'Ouch! Would you stop doing that already?'

'G'night Harry, Ginny,' Isabelle smiled sweetly at them as the couple stood. As had become fairly standard practice, Ginny had Harry's Invisibility cloak hidden in her school bag, and she discretely donned it for the trip up to the boy's dorms.

'Bloody hell!' Dean nearly tripped over his trunk when Ginny's head suddenly appeared in the middle of the dorm. 'I _wish_ you'd cough or something before you did that!'

'But it's so much more fun this way,' Ginny smiled at him. Dean rolled his eyes good-naturedly before climbing into bed. Harry couldn't help but chuckle. It was really quite surprising how well Dean, Seamus and Neville had become adjusted to having Ginny around – they all seemed perfectly willing to take it in stride, and none had ever complained about it being unfair. They all knew what it was for.

Ron, on the other hand, while perfectly able to accept his sister's presence, continued to shoot suspicious looks at Harry, as if wondering what _really_ went on behind the privacy of the Silencing Charm around Harry's bed. He really needn't have worried, Harry mused idly as he opened his trunk and began to rummage through it, looking for pajamas. Nothing…untoward had happened yet, although if he was honest with himself, he had been tempted many times.

He withdrew an article of clothing from his trunk and stared at it for a good five seconds before he realised what he was holding. With a yelp he flicked the knickers across the room – just as Seamus opened the door and stepped through.

The Irish boy blinked as the frilly things landed on the floor at his feet. Slowly his gaze traveled upwards to where Harry still knelt at the end of his bed, wide eyed.

'I'd ask, but I think I already know,' Seamus said with a sly grin, nudging the underwear with his foot. Blushing furiously, Harry quickly Summoned the offending garment, stuffing them back into his trunk and slamming it closed. He changed into his pajamas as quickly as he could, all the while painfully aware of Seamus' smirk, and dove into bed to find Ginny on her back, already in her nightdress, and her hand pressed tightly over her mouth to stop her giggles.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' she finally gasped, raising her head to look at him. 'I came up here earlier and moved some of my stuff into your trunk, to save me going back to my dorm every day. I hope you don't mind.'

'Not at all,' Harry said in a strained voice.

'Good,' she smiled impishly at him. 'Then you won't mind that I gave all your stuff that didn't fit in anymore to Dobby.' She burst out laughing at his incredulous look. 'I'm kidding! Everything's there, you can check if you like.' A thoughtful look crossed her brow. 'Although you really, _really_ need to get rid of some of those muggle clothes. Honestly, how you even keep them on is beyond me.'

'With a lot of twine,' Harry said dryly.

'Well, we can't have the Boy-Who-Lived dressed in Dudley bloody Dursley's cast offs, now can we?' She smiled at him. 'Next opportunity we get, I'm taking you shopping, Mister Potter.'

'But…' Harry started to object.

'No buts,' she said adamantly. 'You're going to get some nice clothes if it kills me.'

Harry bit back a sigh. 'Yes, dear.'

'Good, now that's all settled,' she patted the bed beside her, 'why don't you come over here for a while?'

'Gladly,' Harry smiled at her, moving over until he sat next to her. With a well practiced flip he reinforced the Silencing Charm, stopping only to remove his glasses and place them on the bedside table.

_A/N: Argh…awkward ending, I know. Still, it more or less says what I want it to…so I suppose I can't really complain too much._

_Next chapter will be out tomorrow, and contains Malfoy getting his snotty arse kicked. Huzzah!_

_Review Responses:_

PS: _There are spelling mistakes in SC because WF has a bad habit of posting chapters before I get the chance to Beta them…_

doubleOducky: _You'll just have to read and find out, now won't you?_

Bibliophile: _Actually, my adoptive little sister is from Singapore…_

MsMissProngs: _BACKWARD?!? Okay…now I'm insulted. Also…is Pig Latin really the best you can do? Shame on you…I've studied Chaucer, my dear…_

Cleo Starre: _YES!!! Someone else with eyes! Huzzah! Of course, it had to be another Victorian…cause we're the best, everyone should know that by now. ;) Most of the spelling mistakes I already knew about, I'm just far too lazy to be bothered going back to fix them. Snape…is an interesting character. He'll be involved more in the seventh book, I think. I'm not going to go so far as to make him entirely good – but he's not completely evil, either. Shades of grey and all that. I don't have the rest of 6th year just mapped out…I actually have the climax to the story written, and according to my Beta, it's some of my best stuff (shameless ego flattery, I know, but hey). Should only take me about another ten chapters before I get that far…if, of course, my thrice damned Muses decide to co-operate…_

rosepetal13: _Glad you're enjoying it! I think having likable OC's is my crowning achievement…there are so few in fanfiction that aren't either self insertion or Mary Sues. I more or less went out of my way to make OC's that were real people, as JK does introduce new characters every book. As for H/G's relationship, theirs is a little deeper than just snogging in broom closets. It annoys me when some authors have that as the ONLY way they show affection…that's just shallow._

Romulus4: _There is nothing wrong with bourbon…although Wild Turkey is my preferred poison._

Saerry Snape: _LOL…I doubt anyone could actually pronounce that…ahh well, it's all good. And anytime you need a Beta, you know where to find me. NM is the reason I'm addicted to fanfiction…so I owe you. :)_

MrsSakuraPotter: _…you had me worried there for a minute…I'm actually surprised that no-one really did yell at me for that. _

Ashling Vision: _Ooookay…_

Larna Mandrea: _I couldn't help myself…I've been wanting to write that scene for MONTHS! Oh yes…I'm sorry, but I can't help myself…I just have to rub it in. I love being CQ's Beta…I get to read Shades of Grey before anyone else. I'll tell you right up, it's BRILLIANT. Ask very nicely, and I might send you a few chapters in advance…or I might just let you stew. Muahahahaha!!!_

dress-without-sleeves: _You really are weird, you know that? Not that I'm complaining, of course…_

Merusa: _LOL…I suppose it's testament to my character creating abilities, if nothing else. And yes…Malfoy gets his arse kicked. Next chapter. Squee!_

Lourdes: _Yes, I know, the same laws apply here…but they are ignored fairly regularly._


	56. Tournament, Part III

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Ahh…I really, really like this chapter. Read on, you'll see why. :)_

Harry awoke early Friday morning feeling refreshed and ready to face the day – until he remembered that today was the last day of the tournament. It was around about then that a weight settled in the region of his stomach.

Slipping out of bed carefully so as to not wake Ginny, he crept over to the window. From there he could see the grounds and beyond to the Forest, bathed in a half-light from the very small tip of sun that was visible over the hills.

He watched the scene as the light grew steadily brighter, his mind running scenarios for the day to come, each more absurd than the last. Finally, as the sun slipped completely above the hills and he heard the sounds of someone waking behind him, he mentally shook himself – brooding would accomplish nothing, and in any case, he'd find out what Dumbledore had up his sleeve soon enough.

He heard a soft step behind him, and half turned to see Alex heading his way, stifling a yawn with one hand.

'What, Gryffindor's resident hero not able to sleep?' he asked dryly, pouring himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table under the window.

Harry smiled slightly in response. 'I can't help but wonder what Dumbledore's got in store for us,' he whispered, mindful of the four other boys asleep – not to mention Ginny.

'Yeah, I kinda know what you mean,' Alex patted him on the shoulder. 'Not to worry, I'm fairly sure we'll come out on top, so to speak. So long as ferret face doesn't win, I'll be happy.'

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. 'Yeah, I dunno if I'd like to be him when Isabelle gets her hands on him.'

'Amen to that,' Alex affirmed. 'Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to stumble off and have a shower.'

'Don't drown,' Harry called softly after the dark haired boy as he left the room, receiving a negligent wave in response.

It was rather odd, Harry decided as he moved to the end of his bed to collect clothes for the day, just how quickly Alex and Cassie had been accepted into the group. He found it hard to imagine Hogwarts without them both, now, but they had only arrived a little under four months ago. It really was uncanny, and Harry strongly suspected the Prophecy was involved – it seemed to be drawing the people it needed together, and to Hell with the normal rules. He briefly wondered if it were possible for a Prophecy to have something of an awareness when a soft moan alerted him to the fact that Ginny was waking.

He dressed quickly, carefully avoiding the clothes Ginny had thrown seemingly at random into his trunk. Whatever else she was good at, it apparently didn't include neatness. When he was done, he slipped out the door and headed down the stairs to the common room.

Not long after people began to trickle down from the dorms. The first of the group to emerge was Cassie, smiling warmly as she crossed the common room to where he sat restlessly staring out the window.

'Nervous?' she asked quietly, seating herself next to him on the couch.

'A bit, yeah,' Harry admitted with a sigh, turning away from the window to face her.

'You don't need to be, you know,' she said comfortably, leaning back into the deep cushions and smiling. 'I have a feeling this is all going to come down to you and Isabelle, and since you're the one that's trained her, you can't really lose, can you? Doesn't matter who wins – even if it's her, you still win by proxy.'

Harry thought a moment. 'Yeah, I guess so,' he said finally. 'It's just…' He left it hanging.

'I know the feeling,' she assured him. 'Don't worry, everything will be fine.'

'Famous last words,' Harry muttered.

Cassie laughed, patting him lightly on the shoulder. 'Indeed they are, my friend, so I won't repeat them. All you have to do it get your butt out there and win, got it?'

Harry couldn't help but smile at that. 'Yeah, I got it.'

'Good,' she said, standing up and hauling him to his feet. 'Now, since your girlfriend just came down from her dorm, and I'm not even going to bother asking how she managed to sneak from yours to hers, I'll scoot and leave you with her.' She turned to walk away, leaving a bemused Harry behind. 'Oh, and Harry?' she said over her shoulder. 'Don't even think about going easy on Bela. She'll get offended, and I've noticed she's got a right temper.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' he called as she vanished out the portrait hole. Ginny reached him not long after, rubbing sleep from her eyes and looking curiously after the retreating girl.

'What was that all about?' she asked curiously.

Harry shook his head ruefully, still smiling. 'They're just full of surprises, it seems.' He looked down at Ginny, and saw confusion in her eyes. 'Never mind,' Harry said, taking hold of her hand and pulling her towards the portrait hole. 'I'm starved, let's eat.'

'Great, now you're sounding like my prat of a brother,' Ginny rolled her eyes playfully as they left the room.

A few hours later, when the whole school was once again assembled in the Great Hall for the final rounds of the tournament, Dumbledore finally revealed his grand plan to an eagerly awaiting student body.

'There will be two Melee rounds, consisting of five students each,' he announced to the silent Hall. 'The winners of each Melee will take the floor against each other, and the winner of that duel will also be the winner of the tournament.'

The students crowding the stands broke into whispers as Alex watched the Headmaster re-seat himself with one eyebrow raised.

'Well, that answers that, then,' he said finally.

'Yeah, I guess so,' Harry replied. 'I suppose our theories were kind of right, then.'

'I just hope I get put in the melee with Malfoy,' Isabelle said with a feral gleam in her dark eyes.

'The first melee match will consist of Isabelle Lestrange and Elizabeth Richmond from Gryffindor, Michael Corner and Luke Wernett from Ravenclaw, and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin.'

'I wouldn't want to be ferret right now,' Ron said, glaring across the Hall at the Slytherin in question. 'Hit him once for me, would you Isabelle?'

'Gladly,' she said, idly rolling her wand between her fingers so that red and green sparks shot from the end. She got to her feet and, trailed by Elizabeth, made her way out to the ring.

'Do you reckon he stands a chance?' Cassie asked cheekily as they watched the ex-Slytherin take her place.

Alex snorted. 'Hardly,' he said with contempt. 'The little snot-rag won't know what's hit him once she's through with him.'

Harry only half listened to their conversation – he was too busy glaring at Michael Corner, his mind dwelling on the incident at the Halloween Ball. Ginny, seeing where his gaze rested and guessing what he was thinking, snuggled against his shoulder. His arm went around her almost automatically as McGonagall's voice resounded around the Hall, signaling the start of the match.

Isabelle immediately leapt forwards, her wand leveled at Luke Wernett and a hex forming on her lips before the echoes of McGonagall's announcement had even begun to fade. The Ravenclaw, who had immediately assumed Malfoy to be the biggest threat and thus gone after him first, had a shocked look on his face as the Body-Bind took him cleanly in the back, and he fell rigidly to the floor, his wand rolling away from his inert form.

Acting on impulse, Isabelle summoned the downed boy's wand and gripped it tightly in her left hand. Now doubly armed, she began firing hexes as fast as she could with her own wand, using the other to shield herself and block.

'You've got to admit, she's got style,' Alex said proudly as Isabelle took down Michael Corner by leveling both wands at him and firing off twin Stunners. The dark skinned boy managed to deflect one, while the other hit his left arm. It didn't knock him out, but slowed him enough for Elizabeth to finish him with an odd curse that seemed to take away control of his muscles. Michael collapsed in a quivering heap, his eyes wide with fear, and Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.

With the Ravenclaws down, the two Gryffindors turned on Malfoy, who until now had been only peripherally involved, seemingly content to allow the girls to take away some of the competition. At Michael's fall he sprung into action, hurling hexes for all he was worth.

Isabelle shielded herself from a particularly nasty curse with her own wand, simultaneously leveling her stolen wand at the blond Slytherin. '_Reducto!_' she yelled, and the half strength spell took Malfoy in the shoulder while he was distracted by Elizabeth, hurling him to the ground. He recovered quickly, firing a Body Bind at Isabelle, who deftly blocked it. Seemingly growing frustrated with his failed attempts to subdue the Gryffindors, he aimed his wand at the flagstones at Elizabeth's feet. '_Barathrum!_'

Elizabeth let out an odd, surprised squawk as the ground gave way, and she slid unceremoniously into the large pit that had opened up in front of her. Malfoy flicked his wand again, and the floor promptly sealed itself over her.

'Nice trick, dear cousin,' Isabelle called, stalking from side to side like a restless lion. _A fitting description_, she mused, smiling so her teeth showed. 'Now, I think it's time to end this, hmm?'

'I'm not going to argue,' Malfoy smirked, then leveled his wand. '_Commoveo!_'

Isabelle didn't even flinch as the burst of yellow light shot towards her, instead pointing her wand straight up and saying, '_Effluo!_' She vanished from sight, and the spell continued harmlessly to impact against the shields.

By this point, Alex's grin was almost splitting his face in two, and Ron wasn't much better off as he watched a perplexed Malfoy looking around carefully, trying to spot the ex-Slytherin. Cassie glanced at Hermione and rolled her eyes at the pair of them.

Suddenly Malfoy froze, his eyes darting nervously from side to side. Isabelle dropped the Invisibility spell, and they saw she had crept up behind her old Housemate and had her wand pressed to the back of his neck.

'You lose, cousin,' she breathed.

Malfoy snarled, but wisely remained still. 'This isn't over, traitorous bitch,' he said, his voice near dripping with hatred.

'Big words, but can you back them up?' she asked, eyeing the back of his head, wishing she could see his expression. She had a feeling it would be rather…entertaining. 'No, I don't think you can. I hold all the cards here, and I think it's time I prove that to you. _Obsequium!_'

To his credit, Malfoy tried to fight the effects of the spell. Isabelle stood behind him, grimly keeping her wand trained on the back of his head. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his limbs started to shake violently as his face contorted with the effort he was expending. Finally his head bowed, and his wand dropped from his hand.

'Isabelle Lestrange wins, and goes on to the final round!' McGonagall's voice was almost drowned out by the cheers of the students. Isabelle smiled smugly as she left the ring, and was enveloped in a bear hug by a jubilant Alex when she arrived back at the Gryffindor corner.

'Ha HA!' he crowed, lifting her from the ground and spinning her around. 'You, my dear, are absolutely amazing, you know that?'

'Of course I know that,' Isabelle said calmly. 'Now would you put me down please?'

Alex laughed, setting her back down. She grinned up at him, leaning in to kiss him soundly before breaking away from him and rejoining the rest of the group, who were standing a little way back.

'That was bloody brilliant!' Ron said enthusiastically. 'What was that spell you used at the end?'

'Submission,' the ex-Slytherin smirked. 'Pretty self explanatory, really. Just proving once and for all which of us is the stronger-willed. Draco's always been far too full of himself.'

'No arguments here,' a recently unearthed Elizabeth joined the group, still shaking dirt out of her long hair.

'You okay?' Michael asked her, concern written over his features, but Elizabeth waved him off.

'I'm fine, or at least I will be after I have a nice long bath,' she wrinkled her nose. 'Congratulations, by the way,' she added to Isabelle.

'Thanks,' Isabelle nodded. 'You weren't so bad yourself.'

'Until Malfoy started rearranging the floor, of course,' the older Gryffindor said dryly.

'There is that,' Isabelle agreed with a straight face.

Once Madam Pomfrey had seen to everyone's injuries, which were all minor, McGonagall announced the second melee – slightly unnecessary, as all the students left out of the first one knew who they were. 'The second melee match of the day will be between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger of Gryffindor, Joseph Bounds of Hufflepuff, Cho Chang of Ravenclaw and Blaise Zabini of Slytherin.'

Harry's expression grew grim as he heard the list called out – not only would he be up against Hermione, but also Cho – he had watched her progress through her previous rounds with mild interest, and she had done quite well so far. It would be an interesting match, of that he was certain. He turned to look at Hermione, nodding slightly when he caught her gaze. Gently disengaging himself from Ginny, the two stood.

'Good luck, both of you,' Isabelle said as Harry gave Zith to Ginny, the snake quite content to curl up in her lap.

Harry nodded again in reply, not really trusting himself to speak. He glanced at Hermione, who was also looking slightly grim. He didn't relish the thought of having to fight her.

'Come on, Harry,' she said eventually, crossing the small space between them. 'We'd best get out there.' He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the battle ahead, and turned to walk shoulder to shoulder with Hermione towards the arena.

_A/N: MUAHAHAHA!!! I love my job…truly I do…_

_Review Responses:_

nebulia: _Mind. Gutter. OUT!!! They're just sleeping in the same bed._

JeanieBeanie33: _Boring? BORING?!? (wanders off muttering darkly)_

_(blinks) That's it? Come on, people…hit the little button in the corner and leave a review. You know you want to…_


	57. What The Heck Just Happened?

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Sorry about the delay, but my computer died – and took all my files with it. I've had to re-write this from scratch. Still, the first version was crap, so I'm not too worried._

_ANYWAY…I've been an evil bastard again, and gone a completely different direction to what everyone was expecting…aren't I nice?_

_This particular chapter is dedicated to Merusa – I was reading her story Brethren of Ares, and it inspired me to get this out. So, why don't you all go thank her by reading her stuff and, of course, leaving reviews full of praise?_

Darkness.

Silence.

_Ouch._

Harry groaned, opening his eyes to find himself once again in – surprise, surprise – the Hospital Wing. Dim light filtered down through the high windows, indicating it was either early morning or late afternoon. His whole body seemed to burn, almost as if a million tiny fires had been lit inside him. As the icing on the cake, he also had a splitting headache.

He turned his head slightly, wincing as he did so, to see the blurry form of Isabelle sitting in a chair beside his bed, her dark eyes watching him intently.

'Hey,' she said softly, picking up his glasses from the bedside table and sliding them onto his face. 'How're you feeling?'

'What the hell happened?' Harry asked in a hoarse voice. 'Where's Ginny?'

Isabelle laughed softly. 'One track mind, I see. Gin's just gone down to the kitchens to get something to eat, she'll be back shortly.' She paused a minute. 'Well, actually, Ron, Alex and Cassie quite literally dragged her down to the kitchens, but the end result is the same.'

Harry chuckled, and stopped immediately when the movement made his head thump painfully. 'What happened?' he repeated his earlier question when the pain had died down somewhat.

Isabelle sighed heavily, slouching down in her seat. 'You don't remember anything?'

Harry thought a moment – and came up with a blank. 'The last thing I remember is walking out into the ring with Hermione for our match…where is she, anyway?' he asked, realising her name hadn't been in the list of people that had taken Ginny to the kitchens.

Isabelle's eyes raised to look at the bed next to Harry's, and he turned to follow her gaze. The mass of bushy hair immediately identified the bed's occupant.

'Isabelle,' Harry growled, turning back to stare at the ex-Slytherin. '_What happened?_'

'You kinda…lost it, a bit,' she said finally, chewing on her lower lip nervously. 'When Blaise Zabini, the bloody braggart, hit you in the back with a Reductor Curse. There was this big…explosion, almost. The crowd was protected by the shields, although they almost failed, but everyone in the ring was knocked out. Then you just…collapsed.'

'Is she alright?' Harry asked, his voice steady.

Isabelle nodded slowly. 'She's fine, physically. It's just…Madam Pomfrey couldn't wake them up. Any of them.'

She gestured to the beds beyond Hermione's that, Harry now saw, contained the inert forms of Blaise Zabini, Cho Chang, and the Hufflepuff seventh year.

Harry was saved from having to comment as the main doors crashed open and a furious Ginny stormed in.

'Ron, I'm not hungry, you bloody great prat!' she yelled over her shoulder. She stopped abruptly when she saw Harry watching her, a faintly amused look on his face.

'Even if you're not, Mum would kill me if she knew you're not eating properly.' Ron came charging in after her, also stopping when he saw Harry was awake. 'Finally,' he said, wandering over to Harry's bedside. 'You've really gotta stop doing this, mate.'

Ron's reaction surprised Harry a little – he'd expected to be yelled at for hurting Hermione, at the very least. That his friend took it so calmly was slightly disconcerting.

Ginny finally started moving again and followed her brother. She climbed onto Harry's bed and wordlessly enfolded him in a hug. 'Umm…' Harry glanced up at Ron nervously. 'I'm sorry…about Hermione, and all.'

'Ahh,' Ron waved the apology away. 'Not like you did it deliberately, is it?'

'But if Madam Pomfrey can't wake her up…' Harry trailed off, not able to continue speaking. His worried expression was more than enough. Ginny squeezed him tighter, before letting go and sitting back.

'But _you_ will,' Ron emphasised. 'You always do, in the end.'

Harry thought the faith Ron had in him was a little misplaced, but welcome all the same. 'Then I'd better see what I can do about that.' He threw the covers back and eased himself into a sitting position, aided by Ginny.

'You sure you're up for it?' she asked in a worried tone. 'If Madam Pomfrey catches you out of bed –'

'I have to fix this,' Harry said firmly. He swung his legs shakily out of bed, and Ron moved forward to take his right arm. Ginny took his left, and together they helped him stand.

'I'll go tell Dumbledore you're awake, shall I?' Isabelle offered. Without waiting for an answer, she left.

With Ron and Ginny's help, Harry hobbled over to Hermione's bedside, ignoring the pain that racked his body to the best of his ability. He still didn't know what had caused it in the first place. Not quite sure how to proceed, he laid one hand on Hermione's brow, willing her to wake.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

'So much for that idea,' Harry muttered, and was just about to withdraw his hand when there was a flash of green light, and instantly he felt his pain vanish. At the same time Hermione's eyes shot open, and she looked around wildly, calming when she realised where she was.

'What happened?' she asked Ron, her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the room. His reply was cut off as the doors swung open.

'Very nicely done, Harry,' Dumbledore said as he entered the Hospital Wing, his eyes bright and his beard twitching, with Isabelle trailing along behind. 'You seem to be progressing nicely.'

'Progressing nicely?' Harry asked in confusion, gently shaking Ron and Ginny off him – with the pain gone, he could stand easily enough. 'Professor, I could have killed them!'

'But you didn't,' Dumbledore said, nodding decisively. 'You merely put them to sleep, which makes me believe the integration process is nearly complete.'

'Integration process?'

'Indeed, Harry,' Dumbledore sat on Harry's abandoned bed, flipping his long beard over his shoulder to get it out of the way. 'There is a reason I did not start your training earlier. I must say, I am impressed – most wizards take a full year, sometimes two, to reach the stage you have in mere months.'

Harry didn't quite know how to respond to that.

'So, I shall speak to Professor Milton, organise an official schedule for you to start your training next term. I'm sure he won't mind giving you some extra tutorial.'

Dumbledore stood again, his bright blue eyes resting on Harry. 'I feel I can say with absolute certainty, Harry James Potter, that your parents would have been immensely proud of you right now.' The Headmaster nodded and then swept out of the room.

Harry blinked, as the silence in the wake of Dumbledore's departure grew longer. 'But I didn't _do_ anything!' He finally protested.

Ginny rolled her eyes, nodding to Ron. They both grabbed a pillow, Ron from Hermione's bed and Ginny from Harry's, and proceeded to wallop him with them.

* * *

When Harry was finally released from the Hospital Wing – Madam Pomfrey had insisted on keeping him in overnight, "just in case", he found a school that was annoyingly reminiscent of the previous year, when he had been vilified and made to look like an attention seeking braggart. Every student he passed broke off their conversations to stare at him, and began muttering in hushed tones when they thought he was out of earshot. Hermione, who had been released at the same time, laid a calming hand on his arm as she saw him scowling at a group of second year Slytherins who were opening pointing at him.

'Just ignore them,' was her frequently repeated mantra as they made their way through the castle towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry thought she was asking a lot.

'So who actually won the tournament, anyway?' Harry asked in an attempt to distract himself.

Hermione glanced over at him, a slightly amused smile on her face. 'I was with you in the Hospital Wing, remember?'

'Oh. Right.' _Come on Potter, get a bloody grip!_

Hermione just laughed and shook her head.

When they finally reached the seventh floor corridor, they were almost bowled over as Cassie came hurtling towards them.

'Thank God I found you,' she panted, sliding to a stop. 'Come on, we have an emergency.' She grabbed Harry's hands and tugged him towards the Fat Lady, which was wide open. Harry could vaguely hear shouts coming from within, and hurried to follow Cassie.

The scene that greeted them in the Common Room was complete pandemonium. Ron and Ginny stood in the middle of the room, being restrained by Alex and Isabelle respectively. Across from them stood Hayden, his expression smugly triumphant as he addressed the Gryffindors who stood around watching the scene unfold.

'You all saw what happened!' he bellowed, his arms spread akimbo. 'Does a real Gryffindor do that sort of thing? Did any of the _other_ Gryffindors entered in the contest do what he did? _No_, it was only Slytherin boy Potter!'

'I'm going to pound your bloody head in, Hayden,' Ron growled, twisting around to try to get out of Alex's grip.

'You!' Hayden said, spotting Harry as he made his way through the crowd. 'You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here, when you're more of a Slytherin than she is!' He spat in Isabelle's direction. Her dark eyes stared daggers at him, but she didn't release Ginny, whose expression was one of pure fury.

'You're full of shit, Hayden!' a voice called from the crowd. Harry thought he recognised Aaran's voice.

'Am I?' Hayden attempted to sneer. 'Well then, why is it that Potter never told us he was supposed to be sorted into Slytherin, hmm?' The room filled with mutterings at his words, and Harry tried as best he could to not take offence.

'And what is wrong Slytherin, exactly?' Harry asked in a quiet voice, which nonetheless succeeded in instantly silencing the entire room. 'They're no different to us, except they wear green instead of red.'

'What about Malfoy?' Another voice called out.

'Every House has it's bad eggs,' Isabelle answered the question. 'I mean, just look at this moron.' Her gaze flicked back to Hayden, who glared at her.

'Says a Slytherin.'

'What in Merlin's name is going on here?'

Professor McGonagall entered the common room, and immediately silence reigned.

'Well?' she asked impatiently. 'I'm waiting for an explanation!'

'Sorry, Professor,' Hayden said, sounding anything but. 'The truth must come out,' he served Harry a glare.

'Oh? And what truth would that be, Mister Hayden?'

Hayden pointed triumphantly at Harry. 'That Potter should be in the dungeons with the other snakes, not here in this tower! And so should she,' he added, pointing at Isabelle.

McGonagall's expression turned cold. 'I see,' she said frostily. 'Detention for a week with Professor Snape, Mister Hayden. Perhaps it will teach you not to speak of things you know nothing about.'

Hayden gaped at her. 'But Professor…'

'A further two days for talking back,' McGonagall snapped, and Hayden wisely shut his mouth. 'Mister Potter, Miss Lestrange, I'd like to see you both in my office in ten minutes,' she finished curtly, then left the room.

'You might have McGonagall fooled, but you don't fool me,' Hayden hissed at Harry as the crowd began to disperse. 'I'm going to prove it!'

'I really don't think anyone's going to be very interested in what you have to say after this,' Isabelle said calmly.

Hayden glared at her. 'Shut up, snake,' he sad harshly. 'I don't give a damn what you have to say.'

'You'll speak to her with respect, or you'll not speak to her at all,' Alex said in a dangerously quiet voice, his fists clenched.

'Why would I want to show that Slytherin whore any respect? She's just the bitch daughter of a Death Eater!'

Alex let out an enraged roar and leapt at Hayden, but Isabelle grabbed the back of his robes, and hauled him back. Ron hurried over to help her restrain him.

'Hiding behind the Slytherin's skirts, how very Gryffindor,' Hayden taunted Alex.

Cassie rolled her eyes, taking a step forward. 'Hayden. Shut up.'

Hayden switched his glare to the older girl. 'Make me.'

'If you insist,' Cassie shrugged. Before he could react, she pulled her arm back and punched him cleanly in the jaw. The stocky boy staggered back from the force of the blow, his eyes glazed.

'Now, unless you'd like another, I suggest you follow my instructions and _shut up_!' Cassie snapped, then spun on her heel and stalked back towards her twin, who had been released from Ron and Isabelle's grip and stood grinning at her.

'Nicely done,' he smirked, clapping her on the shoulder as the group headed out of the common room, away from the scene.

'Thanks,' she smirked back at him, then raised one eyebrow at the other five students, all of whom were staring at her with their mouths hanging open – they'd never even seen her raise her voice at anyone, much less lose her temper. 'What?'

'You just punched that little snot,' Ron managed to get out.

'Thank you for that blinding grasp of the obvious, Ron,' Cassie smiled sweetly at him. 'Now, we need to find somewhere to go, as I'd really rather avoid the common room for a while, and Harry and Isabelle have to meeting with our dear Head of House.' She stopped walking as everyone continued to stare at her. 'Have I grown another head or something?' she asked, jokingly looking herself over.

'Remind me never to get on your bad side,' Isabelle shook her head, earning a laugh from the older girl.

'I'll keep it in mind,' she said, an amused smile on her face.

When Harry and Isabelle entered McGonagall's office a few minutes later, they found not only her sitting behind her desk, but James seated next to her. The two were holding a tense discussion.

'Please sit,' McGonagall indicated the two chairs in front of her desk. When they had seated themselves, she fixed them with a piercing gaze. 'Professor Milton informs me that there have been problems along these lines in the past,' she began without preamble.

'Yes, Professor, there have been,' Harry nodded, keeping his expression carefully neutral.

'Why was I not informed?'

'That was my decision, Professor,' Isabelle said reluctantly.

'And why is that, Miss Lestrange?'

'I'm the reason behind all this…chaos,' she said quietly. 'You already don't like me much, I didn't want you to think I was just trying to cause trouble in your House.' In a slightly uncharacteristic move, Isabelle lowered her head and stared at the floor.

'I see.' McGonagall gazed at the despondent girl for a long moment, then sighed. 'My dear child, I do not dislike you personally. You are now a member of my House, and I want you to know that you can bring your problems to me, and I shall listen if you do.'

Isabelle slowly raised her head, an indiscernible look in her dark eyes. 'I…' she started, then swallowed hard. 'Thank you, Professor.'

McGonagall smiled thinly. 'Now, would one of you care to explain what that little display in Gryffindor Tower was all about?'

Harry and Isabelle exchanged a glance, and Harry launched into the story behind the stocky fourth year.

'So, Mister Hayden has threatened both Miss Lestrange and now you,' McGonagall summed up when Harry had finished speaking. 'I'll ignore your rather unorthodox method of revenge, I should have expected no less from the son of James Potter. But something must be done about this troublemaker. I shall have to speak to the Headmaster, but I believe his actions might be grounds for suspension.'

'I'd say so, yes,' James spoke for the first time.

'Now, both of you may go,' McGonagall dismissed them. Harry was about to open the door when she spoke again. 'It will be interesting to see what a new generation of Marauders can do…although please try to leave the school in one piece.'

Harry grinned innocently at her as he followed Isabelle out of the room.

'You know, I believe the true essence of the Marauders is contained within that boy,' she said to James, who raised an eyebrow. 'He has Potter's leadership, Black's loyal streak, and Lupin's quiet dignity.'

'You might be right,' James said, letting out a sigh. 'Here's hoping he fares better than they did.'

A/N: Come on everyone…I have support services now, so I know how many people read this and don't review. I had 2,500 hits in the first three days…that's my total number of reviews! Please leave a review…even if it's only to say you hated it. Reviews feed my Muses and make them work faster, lazy gits that they are. Come on, you know you want to…

_Review Responses:_

_Once again, many, many thanks to everyone who reviewed. If I could, I'd respond to every single one…but I think ff .net might have a fit if I did._

Oz: _What? I like the Matrix…_

ulkser: _There's not much of Ron and Hermione, you're right – mostly because I suck at writing them. I'm trying to put more of them in, but…_

Jenn the Freak: _Wowzers…that's a lot of questions! First things first…where did you get the idea that I'm a Pom? I'm an AUSSIE! Zith will come into it a bit more later on…Sirius' role will also become clear very soon, I'm hoping…Lupin, again, is coming into it soon…a fic I'm going to publish very soon will explain the relationship between James and Tonks (it's NOT what you might think!). Umm…I think that's all I can safely say… :s_

Cleo Starre: _Computer got washed away is close…and I nearly had Herm beating Harry, but then this came out instead…I dunno, blame my Muses._

Lizai: _LOL! A fellow February-ian, eh? I'd agree with you about the pronunciation, but I'm an Aussie…do you know how hard it is to pronounce that right with our accent?_

GnatGirl13: _Yes, I know, it's quite deliberate. If you want to complain about it, I direct you to David Eddings' series The Mallorean, in it's original print. If Eddings can do it, I certainly can._

RinnaMarie: _Cassie saw your comments in the last chapter, and this is the result…I think she's trying to prove that she IS Alex's twin, after all…_

jwhit-moony:_ So dead, Josh. So very, very dead._

compulsivereader: _If you want to link to HPMM, go right ahead. I think I have read that story, some time in the dim past…(ponders)_

Merusa: _Oh ye of little faith. I finally finished Brethren of Ares! (is proud) And you got a dedication…_

Ilana: _The spell is entirely reliant on the Will of the caster and the castee…and Isabelle isn't perfect, she'll get her own little kick in the rear…eventually._

MsMissProngs: _Cheeky little chit…:p_

Dree: _A tie? Now where's the fun in that, exactly?_

FreeMeFromMyself: _Yeah, CQ is still my Beta…that is, if she'd stop vanishing on me._

Amoxx: _It does indeed…I read Magician years ago, and just loved the name…so I nicked it._

dress-without-sleeves:_ LOL! Down, girl…_

Larna Mandrea: _Is Cass still your favourite character:p "Hippogriff of my heart"? Good grief, now that's some quality sucking up. A bit redundant now, though. Of course, I'll also be Beta'ing the sequel…(smirks evilly) And who you callin' half blood?_

magickk: _Ungodly hours? Dear sister, it's currently 8:30AM, and I haven't been to bed yet…_


	58. Lestrange, Isabelle Lestrange

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Mixed reactions about the last one…oh well, can't please everyone. Most of the questions asked are answered here somewhere…so, without further ado…_

_This chapter is posted un-Beta'ed, because if I delay it any longer I'll probably wake up tomorrow without my head. Damn those pitchforks…_

'McGonagall's pretty much given us leave to declare open season on the little twerp,' Alex said. 'I say we take the opportunity and make an example of him.'

The seven students that had come to be known as the "Core Gryffindors" were seated around the fireplace on the day after Harry and Isabelle's meeting with the Deputy Headmistress, which was also the official first day of the holidays. It was just after lunch, and the common room was nearly empty, owing to the fact that the vast majority of students had returned home on the Express that morning.

Hermione scowled at Alex. 'You can't just attack a student like that, Alex!'

'Why not?' Alex shot back. 'You said yourself that the little snotrag deserves it.'

'That doesn't make it right,' Hermione said resolutely. 'Ron, help me here, you're supposed to be a Prefect!'

'Hermione's right, Alex,' Ron said reluctantly.

'Much as I hate to say it, they do have a point,' Isabelle said thoughtfully. 'If we just start attacking anyone we don't like, how are we any better than Malfoy – or Voldemort, for that matter?'

'Oh great,' Alex crossed his arms sullenly, slumping down in his seat. 'Spoil all my fun, why don't you.'

'We can't just let him get away with it,' Harry protested. 'There must be _something_ we can do.'

'Let McGonagall handle it,' Hermione said immediately. 'She said she was going to Dumbledore, right? So let him be suspended.'

'And then he'll just go home, spend a month brooding, and be even worse when he gets back,' Cassie interjected. 'Maybe there's something else we can do. Instead of pranking him, why not just completely discredit him? Then he can say whatever he wants, and no-one will believe him.'

'Why the hell didn't I think of that?' Isabelle groaned, burying her face in her hands. 'You bloody Gryffindors are a bad influence on me, you know that?'

'But you love us anyway,' Alex wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

'Don't push your luck,' Isabelle growled, swatting him away.

'So how do we go about discrediting him, then?' Harry asked.

'Maybe we could feed him some false information,' Ginny said slowly, her eyes on the fire that burned merrily in the grate, keeping the winter chill at bay. 'Then, when he tries to use it…'

'…we jump in and prove he's an idiot,' Isabelle finished for her, her dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully. 'It needs something more, though.'

'Like what?' Alex looked at her curiously.

'I'm not sure,' the ex-Slytherin frowned. 'There's something not quite right about all this. It seems to be a little more than a case of House pride, is all. Hayden doesn't really have a reason to be attacking me, and certainly not Harry. I think it might be high time I looked into our little friend's history.'

'How do you plan to do that?' Ginny asked.

'Simple,' Isabelle smirked.

'Pray tell, enlighten us mere mortals,' Alex nudged her shoulder. 'How exactly are you going to get access to Dumbledore's files? I'm assuming that's what you have in mind.'

Isabelle's smirk only widened. 'You'll see,' she promised. 'Harry, the Map would make this a lot easier.'

'You're going now?'

'No time like the present,' she shrugged.

'I'll go get it, then,' Harry got to his feet and headed for the stairs to his dorm.

* * *

Harry and Alex loitered casually at the end of the fourth floor corridor that led to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Isabelle had led them here and instructed them to wait for her; she had then vanished down another corridor. The two boys had exchanged a glance, and settled down to wait.

'Did anyone tell you what happened at the tournament after you were all knocked out?' Alex asked after a moment.

Harry shook his head. 'I meant to ask, but I got a bit distracted.'

'Funny, that,' Alex agreed. 'Well, when you knocked everyone else in your match out and then fainted yourself, Dumbledore had to declare you all knocked out. Isabelle won by default.' He looked at Harry apologetically.

Harry, however, found he didn't feel jealous of the girl for winning – rather, he felt proud of her. 'That explains Hayden last night,' Harry realised. 'I wondered why he wasn't attacking Isabelle as much as he normally did, but if she just won a hundred and fifty House points, he'd probably be shouted down.'

Alex nodded in agreement. 'There might be something to that. Maybe he figures you're vulnerable now, since most of the school is afraid of you at the moment.'

'Story of my life at Hogwarts,' Harry sighed pensively.

'Hermione told me about the Chamber of Secrets and the Triwizard Tournament, not to mention last year,' Alex gave him a sidelong glance. 'Seems like you're always under fire for something or another.'

Harry laughed hollowly. 'Tell me about it.'

'Well, not to worry,' Alex clapped him on the back. 'I can't see Ron or Hermione giving up on you anytime soon, Cass and I are with you, and even if she'd never say it, Isabelle thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread. I doubt she'd settle for me if she thought she had a chance with you.' He smiled self-depreciatingly.

'You think so, do you?' Isabelle's voice made them both turn to see her striding down the corridor. When she reached them, she reached up and slapped the back of Alex's head.

'Ouch! What was…mmph!' He was cut off when she grabbed him around the back of the neck and glued her lips to his.

Harry hid his smile and turned away politely.

When she finally pulled away, her dark eyes were sparkling as she looked up at her boyfriend, who wore a rather dazed expression. 'And don't you forget it,' she nodded, then turned to Harry. 'Come on, we'd better get back to Gryffindor Tower. I think everyone's going to want to hear this.' With that she turned and walked away, dragging Alex along behind her. Harry followed her, a bemused smile on his face.

* * *

'So Hayden Senior is a Death Eater,' Harry sighed. They had re-joined Ron, Hermione, Cassie and Ginny before the fire in the common room, and Isabelle had just reported her findings. 'Great, now I have to be on guard even from my own House.'

'Explains a lot, though,' Ginny said thoughtfully. 'I always thought he was a bit too fanatical about Isabelle being resorted.'

'How did you get into Dumbledore's office, exactly?' Ron asked suspiciously.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. 'Ron, do you remember the day we were all inducted into the Order?'

'Yeah, but…' His eyes widened in understanding, remembering her metamorphosis. '_Oh_.'

'That brings up a point,' Harry said wryly. 'We probably could have just asked Dumbledore for the information, now we're in the Order.'

Isabelle opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. 'I never thought of that,' she said a little sheepishly.

'So how did you get in? Just because you can turn into a bird, doesn't automatically get you access,' Cassie asked curiously.

'Easy,' Isabelle shrugged. 'Dumbledore leaves a window open for any owls to go in and out.' She hesitated. 'Actually, Harry, I have a confession to make.'

'Oh?'

'When I was still in Slytherin, I…offered my information gathering services to anyone who could pay. Malfoy…"employed" me several times, and one of them was to look into your files. That's probably how Hayden knew about you being almost sorted into Slytherin.'

'You worked for _Malfoy_?' Ron sounded outraged.

'You have no idea how Slytherin House works, do you?' She smiled almost sadly. 'If you have talent in _any_ area, you use it to your best advantage. The fact that I could offer a unique service – for a price – guaranteed me immunity.' She shrugged. 'Besides, I made quite a bit of money out of it. Dumbledore never found out, so he never tried to stop me.'

'I doubt Dumbledore wouldn't know,' Harry disagreed. 'The portraits in his office would have seen you, and even if they didn't, not much slips by Fawkes.'

'He knew?' Isabelle looked astonished. 'So why did he let me keep doing it then?'

'Practice,' Cassie said simply.

'She's got a point,' Ginny agreed. 'Maybe he let you keep doing it so you could get experience. I'm sure it'll come in handy at some point, and it's just the sort of thing he'd do.'

Alex laughed delightedly. 'Lestrange, Isabelle Lestrange. Shaken, not stirred.'

Ron and Ginny looked confused, but Harry, Hermione and Cassie laughed. Isabelle just looked at him oddly.

'You're comparing me to a middle aged male spy now?' She shook her head. 'You do wonders for my ego, Alex.'

'Well…a young, talented, beautiful, female version of said spy maybe,' Alex amended.

'What are you lot on about?' Ron asked, his expression baffled.

Alex and Cassie exchanged a look, then both turned to Ron and grinned impishly. 'Tell you when you're older,' they said in unison.

Ron blinked.

'Ahh, you make it too easy, Ron. You really do,' Cassie said sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

'Are you really sure this is necessary?'

'Absolutely. Even if he doesn't know it, Harry's in even more danger now than he has been these last few years.'

'I need not remind you this is a very large step. What if…'

'Albus, please, no "what if's". I'm doing this, with or without your approval.'

Albus Dumbledore gazed over his steepled fingers at the determined man sitting opposite him. James Milton's blue eyes flashed fire as he determinedly stared the Headmaster down.

'James, please understand…'

'There's nothing to understand. I worked for the bastard, remember? I know how he operates. Hell, last time around I helped him come up with his tactics, for crying out loud. I know better than anyone should exactly how his mind works. He's building up to something big, I can feel it.'

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment, then sighed heavily. 'If you really feel it's necessary, I shall do all within my power to aid you.'

'Thankyou,' James nodded curtly.

'There is one stipulation, however,' Dumbledore continued. 'Miss Weasley.'

James frowned. 'Are you sure?'

Dumbledore nodded gravely. 'Very sure. All the signs are present.'

'But they're so young,' James objected. 'Are you really sure it's wise to involve her?'

'I do not think we have much choice in the matter. I doubt Harry would allow us to exclude her.'

'That's true enough, I suppose.' James sighed, tapping his fingertips on the Headmaster's desk absently. 'What about the other elements? If we're going to include her, we really need to balance it out.'

Dumbledore considered for a moment. 'Mister Weasley should be suitable for Fire, I believe, and Miss Granger is eminently suited to Air. I believe Miss Lestrange will fit Water, but I do not know who could represent Earth.'

'I have a fair idea,' James shook his head. 'Longbottom. He's involved already, and he does fit.'

'Are you sure…'

'If you ask me that again, you probably won't like the consequences,' James said irritably. 'My kids couldn't do it anyway, I'll need their help. They're passing familiar with Old Magic.'

Dumbledore let out a low chuckle, settling himself more comfortably in his chair. 'Very well James, I'll let you arrange the details. When do you think would be the best time?'

'The full moon of Aquarius,' James said firmly.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, taking a lemon drop from the tin on his desk and placing it in his mouth. 'The start of February it is.'

_A/N:_ _Apologies for the long wait, but I've just recently moved to Perth, and I've only just managed to get my Internet back up and running. I'm trying to keep writing, but things have been a bit hectic these past few weeks. Fingers crossed that things slow down a smidgen and I can go back to semi-regular updates. A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and stuck with me, even if real life keeps trying to interfere. You all make this worthwhile._


	59. Christmas at Hogwarts

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: (ducks numerous thrown objects) I'm sorry for the delay! I've been really busy the last few months, and I've had almost no time to write. Things are easing up now, so I'm at it again. This is a nice long one for you all – well, long by my standards, anyway._

The first week of the holidays passed quickly. There were no great emergencies, no signs of activity by Voldemort, and the school itself was near abandoned. Harry and his friends reveled in the rare silence, spending their days outside having snowball fights and their evenings before the fire in the common room, talking quietly of anything that came to mind. It seemed almost like a time of cleansing, a calm before the storm that would inevitably follow, and they were all grateful for the brief reprieve.

To Harry's immense relief, Dumbledore informed him that the Advanced Defense classes would be taken by someone else in the upcoming term, as Harry would be busy training. The Headmaster wouldn't tell them who would be taking the teaching position, but he assured Harry that he would approve. Harry had a few suspicions, but decided to wait and see before he said anything.

Christmas Eve finally arrived, with the usual hype that went along with it. James Milton quietly withdrew to his rooms as the sky darkened; he saw very little to celebrate on this of all days, and the general revelry that pervaded the rest of the castle seemed, all things considered, in very bad taste.

So he sat before the fire in his study, slouching down into his comfortable armchair, absently swirling a glass of muggle brandy in his left hand. He remained there for quite some time as evening turned to deep night, rising only occasionally to refill his glass. He probably would have stayed there, watching the fire burn ever lower, had not a rather unexpected visitor arrived.

'Now what could the all powerful James Milton, the only known Mind Mage in Britain, be doing drinking himself into a stupor on this most irritatingly cheerful of nights?'

'Snape,' James sighed, waving his hand and creating a replica of his own chair. 'Get yourself a drink and plant that bony arse down.'

'You are not in a position to be familiar with my "arse", bony or not,' Snape said waspishly, but nevertheless he complied with James' instructions, pouring himself a brandy and settling into the armchair.

'So what brings you to my humble abode, Sevvie?' James leveled his gaze at the Potion's Master, seemingly unaffected by the fact that he'd consumed the better part of a bottle of brandy in the space of a few hours.

'The Headmaster sent me,' Snape grimaced. 'He seemed to think you could use some help. Why the damned fool chose me to give it when I'd rather not have anything to do with you at all, I'll probably never know.'

'Ego boosting as always.'

'I'm not here to flatter your ego, Milton,' Snape snapped. His tone softened almost grudgingly. 'Albus told me what happened.'

'I'll have to speak with him about that,' James murmured half to himself. 'Every time I tell him something in confidence, it seems that the whole Hogwarts rumour mill has the story the next day.'

'The walls in his office have ears,' Snape agreed wryly. 'I've long suspected those thrice damned portraits are the source.'

James didn't answer, his eyes back on the dying fire in the grate. The silence began to stretch out, until he suddenly spoke.

'Why are you really here, Snape? Don't say Dumbledore sent you, because even if he did, you'd have refused if you'd wanted to.'

Snape sighed, absently tracing the rim of his glass with one long finger. 'Because, loathe as I am to say it, we need you. The only reason the Dark Lord hasn't already leveled Hogwarts is your presence here. Dumbledore he believes he could manage, but between the two of you…' He left it hanging.

'And yet he chooses to ignore the most powerful person in the castle.'

'Potter?' Snape snorted derisively. 'I hardly think he's worth the Dark Lord's consideration.'

'Don't underestimate him, Severus,' James said seriously. 'You saw what happened at the tournament, and that was only accidentally. Imagine what he'll be capable of once he learns to focus it.'

'He has borrowed power, no more,' Snape said dismissively.

'Borrowed or no, it's still his – for now, at least. He's at least a match for your precious He-of-the-Shite-Anagrams-Voldemort, and I honestly think he'll defeat him. And you know, that leaves you in a rather perilous position.'

'How so?'

'He hates you with a passion,' James said bluntly. 'You might want to think about that. When he defeats old Voldie, what do you think he's going to do? He has a very refined code of ethics, and I believe he'd feel almost obligated to lead the Wizarding world out of these dark times. He's destined for the position of Minister, mark my words.'

'Impossible,' Snape snapped. 'The people would never vote for that arrogant little child!'

'I think you need to stop seeing Harry Potter as James Potter, Snape. They are _not_ the same, much as they look alike. Harry is neither arrogant, nor a child. He has all of James' best qualities, and none of his worst. He's intensely loyal, generous to a fault, and he has so much nobility he gives me a headache. He is far and away the best hope we have, and you'd do well to remember that.'

Snape said nothing, but his expression was set.

'Come on, Snape, I thought you were a better man than this. Granted you're a sadistic, twisted arsehole…'

'Thanks,' Snape said dryly.

'…but you can also be a decent person, when you want to be. I didn't think you were so childish to hold onto a grudge for all these years. Especially when the target of that grudge is long dead.'

Snape sighed again, downing the rest of his drink in one go. 'I'll think about it,' he said shortly.

'Do that,' James recommended, then fell silent again.

The silence stretched out once more, but it was not uncomfortable. Finally Snape spoke. 'Do you want to talk about it?'

'Not really,' James laughed bitterly. 'I'd rather go on a rampage and massacre Voldemort and every single stinking coward who follows him.'

Snape blinked.

'You didn't think I'd changed _that_ much, did you?' James raised an eyebrow. 'Like it or not, there are still vestiges of Joseph Milter in here.' He tapped his temple.

'I'm beginning to see why the Dark Lord is so worried,' Snape commented.

'He has reason. Believe me, he has every reason. Were it not for…for…' James trailed off, and his jaw set. 'Were it not for Andrea, I would have finished this long ago.'

'I doubt it. That prophecy is very specific. If you'd attacked the Dark Lord, you would have failed and probably died in the attempt.'

'Yes, I suppose so.' James gulped down the last of his brandy and refilled his glass. 'I would have done a hell of a lot of damage before I went down, though,' he said with a slightly feral grin.

'I don't doubt it,' Snape said dryly.

James sighed, swirling his glass in his left hand and absently watching the firelight reflecting off the liquid it contained. 'I didn't want this, Snape,' he said quietly. 'All I asked for was to be left alone with my family. Lord Dickless brought this upon himself when he murdered my wife. I will stop at nothing, and I mean _nothing_, to get my revenge!' He slammed his free hand down on the arm of his chair.

'I can understand that,' Snape said blandly.

'Don't patronize me, Snape,' James growled. 'A year ago today, my wife was raped and murdered before my children's eyes. That's the sort of thing that's likely to put me in a _very_ bad mood, and is likely to be hazardous to the health of any snarky bastards who are too attached to their own petty grudges to see what's right in front of their faces.'

'I wasn't patronizing you, Milton.'

'That would be a first.'

'Merely pointing out that I am fully capable of understanding the drive for revenge. I am Slytherin, after all.'

'Yes.' James drained his glass in one go, and then in a fit of irritation crushed it to powder. 'You are.'

* * *

Christmas Day dawned to find snow sifting lightly down to cover the turrets of Hogwarts in a layer of white. Watching the scene from a window in Gryffindor tower, Harry and Ginny sat snuggled together, both holding a mug of hot cocoa courtesy of Dobby.

'It looks almost surreal,' Harry said quietly, his eyes taking in the snowbound towers of the great castle.

'Like something out of a fairytale,' Ginny agreed whimsically, playing with the half melted marshmallow floating in her cocoa with one finger.

Loud footsteps resounded down the stairs leading up to the boy's dorms, and Ron and Alex burst into view, both still dressed in their pajamas and carrying an armful of presents.

'There you are, Harry!' Ron yelled joyfully, depositing a large amount of brightly wrapped parcels into the startled boy's lap. 'Come on, open up! It's Christmas!'

'Ronald Weasley, if you don't shut up I'm going to have to hex you,' Isabelle growled as she entered the common room, sandy eyed and surly as usual. Isabelle, they had all noted many times, was most definitely not a morning person. She had thrown on a green dressing gown over her nightdress, and she also carried a pile of presents, which she dumped on the rug near the fire. Cassie and Hermione followed, wearing dark and light blue dressing gowns respectively. In a sudden flash of insight, Harry realized that their choice in colours was exactly the same as the results of Dumbledore's light test. He wondered idly if it had been accidental or deliberate.

Alex dumped his presents on the floor beside Isabelle's and dropped down beside them. 'Everyone, get your butts into gear and start opening presents.'

'Who died and made you boss?' Cassie grumbled good-naturedly, slapping her twin lightly on the head as she passed him to sit on his other side.

Harry and Ginny shared a look, shrugged, and dove into their presents. The first Harry opened contained the obligatory Weasley jumper, along with some home made mince pies from Mrs Weasley. He remembered the many food hampers from the Weasley matriarch he had received over the summer holidays with a smile, and made a mental note to send her a thank-you note at some point in the not-too-distant future.

'Maroon _again!_' Ron said in disgust, holding the offending garment up. 'Honestly, she doesn't listen to a word I say!'

'Just be glad the twins aren't here,' Harry laughed, remembering the time Gred and Forge had forced Percy to wear his own jumper and had frog-marched him about the common room with his arms pinned to his sides and his glasses askew.

The next package contained a large amount of rock cakes courtesy of Hagrid, and a note inviting Harry to come down for a visit any time. With a guilty start, he realized he had not been down to visit Hagrid all year – with everything else going on in the castle, his giant friend had completely slipped his mind.

'Well well, what have we here?' Cassie asked with narrowed eyes, opening a parcel wrapped in a satiny black paper and removing a set of folded black robes. She unfolded them with a quick flick and held them up, and Harry immediately recognized the intricate design on the back.

'It's the same,' he mused, pulling his amulet from beneath his robes and gazing at it thoughtfully. Indeed, the design on the back of the robes was identical.

'I've got one too,' Isabelle reported. 'The card says that it's from your father.' She turned an accusing gaze on Alex.

'Why are you glaring at me?' he asked in an injured tone, holding up his own set of new robes. 'I've got no better idea than you!'

'We've all received them,' Hermione said, as she and Ron also located their black-wrapped bundles. She took her wand from the pocket of her dressing gown and ran it over the material of her new robes, a thoughtful expression on her face. The tip of her wand glowed with a golden light, and she frowned slightly. 'That's odd,' she said to herself.

'We now pause reverently while Gryffindor's resident genius makes yet another dazzling pronouncement, which is doubtless going to leave us all gasping for breath on the floor, marveling at her magnificence,' Alex declaimed, bowing his head with mock reverence.

'Shut up, Alex,' Isabelle said absently. 'You were saying, Hermione?'

'I can't divine the nature of the enchantment on the robes,' Hermione said, ignoring Alex, who was now doubled over with tears of mirth streaming down his face. 'I'm not entirely sure what Professor Milton has done to them, but whatever it is, it must have taken a lot of power.'

'Please, Hermione, James will suffice.' The Professor in question rolled his eyes as he entered the common room via the Fat Lady. 'There aren't any students left here anyway, so I think we can dispense with the formalities, hmm?'

'If you want, Prof…James,' Hermione corrected herself at the last minute.

'Excellent.' James clapped his hands together, and the fire in the grate roared up, filling the room with warmth. 'I never did like Christmas in the Northern hemisphere…too bloody cold for my liking. At least Australia had Christmas in summer. Anyway,' his piercing gaze swept the group before the fire. 'I suppose you're all wondering about the robes then, yes?'

'The thought had crossed our minds,' Alex said blandly.

'Why do I get the feeling you're being devious again?' Cassie added.

'I'm doing no such thing,' James sniffed. 'Anyway, Hermione, you can set your mind at rest. There's nothing special about those robes, bar a few protective enchantments I wove into them.'

'What about _this_,' Harry demanded, indicating the design on the back of his robes. 'What does it mean?'

'That's one of those things you're going to have to find out for yourself, Harry,' James said seriously. 'I'm not permitted to tell you.'

'Not permitted by who?' Ron asked.

James gave a peculiar half smile. 'I'm also not permitted to tell you _that_.'

'Great,' Isabelle grumbled. 'The one Professor who actually told us things is keeping secrets. Wonderful.'

'Says the girl who's been turning herself into a bird in order to sneak into Dumbledore's office for the last five years,' James returned urbanely. 'Look at it as a challenge. It might even be fun finding out for yourself.'

'Only if you're Hermione,' Alex retorted. 'No offence, Hermy,' he added quickly.

'_Will_ you stop calling me that?' Hermione snapped.

Alex thought a minute. 'No,' he said finally, 'probably not.'

'As amusing as this is,' James interceded before a fight could get underway, 'I brought a few guests along for the party. I certainly home you don't mind.'

'Mum! Dad!' Ginny sat up in astonishment as her beaming parents climbed into the common room.

'What're you doing here?' Ron demanded.

'What, can't we want to spend Christmas with our children?' Mr Weasley said defensively.

Ginny's eyes suddenly widened. 'Does that mean…'

She was cut off by a very loud crash outside the common room, and a second later Fred – or possibly George – popped his head through the open portrait hole. It was difficult to tell, as he was covered from head to foot in black soot.

'Hello all,' George – or Fred – said cheerfully, waving to the rather bemused audience. 'Be right with you, I've just got to get Fred's head unstuck.' George's head disappeared briefly, and there was a second loud bang. A moment later, the twins both entered the common room. Unlike George, Fred was not covered in soot, but in a fine green powder.

'I think we need to work on that one,' Fred commented aside to George as their mother bustled forward, muttering about foolish tricks and casting cleaning charms on both of them.

'Thanks Mum,' George said brightly.

'You just watch yourself, George Weasley,' Mrs Weasley pointed her wand at him menacingly. 'I don't want any mischief this year, understood?'

'Yes Mum,' the twins said in unison.

Another voice came from the corridor outside. 'What's all this mess out here?' A second later, Charlie appeared in the portrait hole. 'Ahh, never mind,' he said when he spotted the twins, who wore identically transparent looks of innocence. 'Bill sends his apologies, he can't make it. He got called back to Egypt on short notice.'

'Well, it wasn't unexpected, I suppose,' Mrs Weasley sighed. 'Still, at least the rest of the family is here!' She said brightly.

'I think that's our cue to leave,' James said. 'Come on you lot, Dumbledore's setting up a meal in the Great Hall.'

'Don't be ridiculous,' Mrs Weasley said as Alex, Isabelle, Cassie, Harry and Hermione made to rise. 'You're all more than welcome to stay.'

'This is all well and good,' Ron interjected, 'but you're interrupting the presents!'

'That's our ickle Ronnekins,' Fred cooed as everyone sat, 'obsessed with his presents.' George went briefly outside and returned with a medium sized sack, which, from the oddly lumpy shape, contained various parcels. This was confirmed when Fred opened the sack and began tossing presents to people.

'Be careful with those!' George scolded his twin. 'Never know what might happen with you throwing them about like that.'

'Right,' Fred nodded, and began gingerly placing each package in front of their increasingly nervous recipients.

'I pity you,' Isabelle said to Harry with a chuckle as he carefully picked up the bright orange package, turning it this way and that.

'You have one too!' George said joyfully, depositing an identical package in a startled Isabelle's lap.

'Gee, thanks,' she said dryly. 'And here I was thinking I was safe.'

'We couldn't let our favourite ex-Slytherin go without, now could we?' Fred grinned at her.

'I'm the _only_ ex-Slytherin you know,' Isabelle pointed out.

'Yes, well, just makes the choice easier, doesn't it?' George said, handing the last two presents to Alex and Cassie.

'I think I'll open it later. Preferably from a different room,' Alex said, prudently placing the orange wrapped package as far away from himself as possible.

'Don't you trust us?' Fred and George asked, identical hurt expressions on their faces.

Alex and Cassie shared a look. 'No, we don't,' Cassie said, pushing her parcel next to her twin's with her foot.

'Wise decision,' Ginny agreed, also placing her present as far from herself as possible.

Fred sighed. 'They don't trust us, Forge,' he said mournfully.

'I know, Gred,' George laid one hand theatrically across his brow. 'Terrible, isn't it?'

There was a sudden commotion outside the common room, and every eye turned to the portrait hole. A red-haired head appeared from outside. 'Sorry I'm late,' Bill apologised. 'We got held up.'

'We?' Charlie asked, one eyebrow raised. 'I thought you said you'd been called back to Egypt?'

'I said I had work to do, I never mentioned Egypt,' Bill shook his head.

'We're just glad you could make it, dear,' Mrs Weasley smiled at him. 'But who is "we"?'

'Ahh, that.' Bill's head disappeared for a moment, and he could be heard speaking to someone outside. When he climbed through the portrait hole, he was accompanied by another – possibly the last person Harry had expected to see.

_A/N: Yes, I know. Come on, it's not that bad a cliffie, you all should be able to guess who it is. If I started to write the next scene, this would never get posted. Expect the next chapter out much, much sooner – I'm aiming to have this finished before HBP comes out, so I'll be trying for a chapter a week minimum._

_Also, don't waste your time pointing out that elements of the scene between Snape and James resembles something out of This Means War! by the ever brilliant Jeconais. I'll freely admit that I stole the idea from him. Sue me._

_Review Responses:_

_Since I was so slack in updating for so long, I couldn't hope to answer everyone. Cheers to everyone who reviewed, though, you were the inspiration for me to get back into this fic!_

Whimsical Firefly: _You're forgetting – she was raised by her "Muggle" aunt, remember?_

StellaDreams: _Isabelle's hair is black, and she has dark eyes. If you do draw a scene from HPMM, would you mind sending me a copy? I'd love to see it._

MioNeGr1000: _You'd be surprised how many people have asked me that question. I'm male, for the record, and proud of it._

slycat-blaze11: _(double checks the number of words and pages of HPMM) Good grief, you read all that in one day? I'm impressed._

SirusLivesOn: _Cheers! I always get annoyed at fics with no decent OC's – every HP book so far has introduced at least a few new characters, so I tried to follow the same formula. You have Lupin in PoA, for example, Moody in GoF, Tonks in OotP…you get the idea. If someone can't make up a decent OC, they shouldn't be writing fanfiction. It's all a part of the job._

Mandrakedm: _Why, thankee! Making Harry a Mind Mage would be rather pointless, as he has that power and more at his disposal through his Familiar – if, of course, he ever learns to control the blasted thing. The relationship between the Weasley twins and Milton twins is explored in a companion fic I'm currently working on, which should be posted soon…I hope. As for Vegemite…(mutters about Americans who have no taste) :p_

iamari: _Matthew Hayden is an Aussie cricket player. I needed a name, and had just finished watching the Australia/Pakistan One Day series, so…_

tadah: _I have no idea how long…every time I think I know, my blasted Muses spring another plot ferret on me…--'_

Evansk: _The move is very simply explained, really. My girlfriend is a Perthite. 'Nuff said._

MorphManiac: _I doubt Hayden Snr would have disowned his son just because he got Sorted into Gryffindor – it means he's brave, not necessarily good._

bethypoobookworm: _Hardly. We're not called the Great Summer Land for nothing. Most of Australia is either comfortably warm or bloody hot – I just happened to live in Melbourne. Think Seattle._

Jenni: _Another one hooked…my work here is done. ;)_

peanutbutterjunkie: _All these old readers coming out of the woodwork…thanks for sticking with me so long!_

Finbar: _Lol, no arguments here. Perth is like a big country town – and they have the oddest laws. Give me the East Coast any day of the week – although you couldn't pay me enough to live in Sydney. Grey concrete everywhere…reminds me of LA. Yech. Melbourne, thanks._

Cynthia15: _One of those guesses was very, very close…I'll leave it up to you to figure out which one. :p_

Mistress-Genari: _Don't you poke me…I just couldn't resist. ;)_

RinnaMarie: _Sass…I like that term. I totally agree – even Hermione isn't really a very strong character in canon, and I went out of my way to correct that oversight. Isabelle is really not one who would play second fiddle to ANYONE, even Harry Potter._

dress-without-sleeves: _SPLEENS? Good grief Molly, you just keep getting weirder._

Merusa: "_Witty banter" implies that there were two witty people involved…:p As to what James is up to…he's ALWAYS up to something interesting. You'll see._


	60. A Family Restored

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_Hmm…I seem to have lost quite a few of my regulars along the way somewhere. Merusa, CQ, Dree, Joshling (hah:p), shotgunn, Shorty, Evansk (and anyone else that I've forgotten) …where are you all :'(_

'Percy!' Ron stared at his estranged brother in astonishment. Harry noticed the youngest Weasley male's ears growing steadily redder, a sure sign his temper was heating up. He glanced around at the rest of the family – Ginny wore a set expression he'd seen many times, Fred and George looked dubious, Charlie was openly smiling. Mrs Weasley looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and Mr Weasley's expression was neutral.

'Err…hello, all,' Percy said nervously.

'Go on, Perce,' Bill poked him in the back hard, sending him stumbling forward until he righted himself. 'They're your family, you silly twit.'

Percy glanced over his shoulder at his older brother, then swept his gaze about the room helplessly. Finally it came to rest on Harry.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' he said heavily. 'I didn't believe you when you were brave enough to come forward and tell the truth, and I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?'

Every member of the Weasley family had their eyes on Harry now, waiting to see what he'd do. Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable – he knew, in a very direct way, that he was responsible for Percy's estrangement from his family. He suddenly had an image of Percy in the Headmaster's office the previous year, ink splattered all over his nose, joyfully informing the Minister for Magic that he had Dumbledore's confession on record. Then the image was superseded by the one he had imagined earlier – in his first year, Percy being frog marched about the common room by the twins in his Weasley jumper.

'It's not me who has to forgive you, Percy,' Harry said finally, glancing around. 'You didn't do anything to me that countless others haven't already done. It's your family that deserves an apology, not me.'

Percy nodded unhappily, and turned to his parents. 'Mum, Dad…' he trailed off, then shrugged helplessly. 'I'm an idiot. Can you forgive me?'

Tears standing out in her eyes, Mrs Weasley rushed forward and embraced her son in a hug. 'Of course we can, you silly boy,' she said, as Percy gratefully wrapped his arms around her.

'Welcome back, son,' Mr Weasley said simply, placing one hand on Percy's shoulder.

'Good enough for us,' the twins said, rushing up to Percy after their mother finally released him and clapping him on the back so hard his horn-rimmed glasses were dislodged and nearly fell off his nose.

Ginny didn't say anything; she simply hugged him fiercely. When she pulled back, she gazed at him for a long moment, carefully removed his glasses, and slapped him as hard as she could. The heavy sound seemed to echo through the common room.

'I deserved that,' Percy winced, gingerly touching his stinging cheek.

'Yes. You did,' Ginny said with a steely glint in her eye.

'Just be grateful she didn't curse you,' Ron advised his brother. 'She's been training with Harry, and she's getting _good_.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Percy smiled faintly, replacing his glasses. 'So, Ron, you're the only one left. What say you?'

'Charlie hasn't said anything,' Ron pointed out.

'I forgave him a long while back,' Charlie shrugged. 'It was me who told him to send that letter to Harry over the summer.'

'So, little brother,' Percy suddenly looked nervous as he chewed on his lower lip. 'Do I have your forgiveness?'

Ron stared at Percy hard for a long moment, then glanced at Harry. 'Harry, mate, what do you think?'

'I think it's your decision to make, not mine,' Harry replied quietly.

Ron sighed heavily, running one hand through his hair distractedly. 'I knew you'd say that,' he muttered. 'Alright, you great prat, I suppose I can forgive you.'

'Thank you,' Percy said simply.

'Group hug!' Fred yelled, pouncing on an unsuspecting Percy. George followed, pulling Ron with him, and the four went down in a tangle of long limbs and red hair.

'Completely mental,' Bill laughed as Fred and George held Percy and Ron together by the simple expedient of sitting on them.

'I've missed you two,' Ginny laughed as she pounced on her brothers.

'Do you think it was altogether wise bringing those two back to Hogwarts?' James asked aside to Molly as Bill and Charlie grinned at each other and joined the pile of Weasley's on the floor.

'Probably not,' she sighed, watching in somewhat amused resignation as Fred and George rolled free of the tangle and started to throw balled up wrapping paper at the Milton twins, who quickly upended a couch to hide behind and returned fire.

'You four will never grow up, will you?' Isabelle sighed. She subsequently yelped in surprise as Fred and George started to target her instead. She dove behind the nearest couch, resisting the urge to start swearing. From his vantage point, Alex got a clear view of her face, and he suddenly laughed.

'I hope you two have your Wills organized,' he called to the other set of twins.

'Of course,' Fred and George chimed.

'Good…cause you're going to need them in about two seconds.'

Fred and George's reply was cut off when Isabelle suddenly stood from behind her couch, holding her own wand in her right hand and surprisingly – or perhaps not – Cassie's in her left. She aimed both at the twins and said calmly, '_Obvolvo_'

The Weasley twins had time to glance at each other before the spells hit. In an instant both were completely mummified in a thick layer of duct tape. They let out muffled cries as they toppled to the floor, and the whole room started laughing. Even Molly's lips twitched as she fought down a smile. All that could be seen of the twins as they rolled on the floor was their bright red hair and their noses.

'There is a lesson to be learned here, gentlemen,' Alex said urbanely as he strolled across the room. 'Never attack a Slytherin, especially this one, unless you're prepared for retaliation.'

'Mo vee maverd.'

'What was that?' Alex knelt down and removed the tape from around the mouth of the twin that had spoken.

'I said, so we gathered.'

'You know, I think I like them better this way,' Charlie grinned. 'How about we just unwrap their heads and leave the rest of it on?'

'As amusing as this is,' Bill interceded, 'Dumbledore's set a room up for us downstairs, so can we move this down there?' With a quick flick of his wand, he removed the layers of tape from the twins.

'Spoilsport,' Charlie grumbled good-naturedly.

* * *

'Harry, could I have a word?'

Harry turned to face Mr Weasley, surprised to be approached by the Weasley patriarch. 'Of course,' he answered, and the two of them allowed the rest of the group to move ahead of them. When Hermione, the last in the group, rounded a corner, Mr Weasley stopped Harry with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

'I need to speak to you about Ginny,' he began seriously. Harry's eyes widened almost unnoticeably, then narrowed. He'd expected a talk along these lines sooner or later – he'd rather hoped, however, that it would have been later. 'Now, Dumbledore has informed Molly and myself of the circumstances surrounding your relationship, so I can understand why it's necessary. I do need to know, however, that you're going to be responsible with this.'

'Of course,' Harry said instantly. 'I'd never do anything to hurt her, or take advantage of her.' He suddenly had an odd sinking feeling in his stomach. Arthur Weasley was a man he certainly didn't want to be on the bad side of, being Ginny's father, and he found himself desperately wanting the man's approval. He waited apprehensively, almost fearing what the response to his heartfelt statement would be.

His fears proved unfounded, however, when Mr Weasley clapped Harry on the shoulder. 'Good man. In that case, and I'll hold you to your word, by the way, I have no issues with you dating Ginny.' He smiled a bit indulgently. 'You have my blessings, Harry, and also my sincere wish that you are both extraordinarily happy with whatever events lay ahead for you.'

'Thank you, Mr Weasley,' Harry said sincerely, a wave of relief washing through him.

Mr Weasley chuckled. 'Harry, my boy, call me Arthur. I'm not going to call you "Mister Potter", so I see no need for you to call me "Mister Weasley" all the time.'

'Thank you…Arthur,' Harry smiled.

'The pleasure is mine, I can assure you,' Arthur beamed. 'I can think of no better match for Ginny than you. Now, we'd best catch up with the others before the twins completely destroy everything.'

'Fred and George, or Alex and Cassie?'

'Both,' Arthur said wryly. 'Molly and I spent some time at Grimmauld Place with James and his children after you left last Christmas. They're almost as bad as Fred and George.'

'They stayed at Grimmauld Place?' Harry asked curiously. This was news to him.

Arthur nodded. 'After James' house in Australia was raided by Death Eaters, he relocated to England to work for Dumbledore, who gave him the provisional position of Defense Professor this year. Looking forward to the removal of that Umbridge woman, I'm sure. He had nowhere to stay, so Sirius offered them sanctuary at his house until they managed to find a place of their own. The Milton twins spent quite a bit of time with my twins – they even worked at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for a time, to earn a bit of money on the side.'

'I never knew that,' Harry said quietly, sobered slightly by the thought of his Godfather. Dumbledore had collected the black dog that now housed his consciousness some weeks ago, and Harry had not seen hide nor hair of him since. The Headmaster had said it was necessary, and Harry had decided to trust him, but he was beginning to worry.

As Harry and Arthur neared the room Dumbledore had set up for them, Hermione suddenly bolted out the door and sprinted down the corridor towards them. 'Harry!' she gasped, out of breath after her mad dash. 'Come on, you have to see this!' She grabbed his arm and tugged hard, almost pulling him over in his haste. Harry stumbled after her, wondering what on Earth had her so worked up.

As they entered the room, Harry suddenly stopped, his eyes wide. The room was a fair size, as large as a fair sized classroom, and a long table ran down the middle of it. A fire burned merrily in the fireplace, doing it's best to stave off the winter chill. A large decorated tree stood in one corner, and several as yet unopened presents rested underneath. Seated on the back of an oversized lounge chair by the fire, sending a calm gaze around the room, was a large, royal blue phoenix.

Harry blinked.

'Ah, Mister Potter, there you are,' the phoenix said in clipped English. 'I've been waiting a long time for this moment.'

'You have?' Harry's natural curiosity overcame his amazement, and he edged closer to the bird.

'Indeed.' The magnificent creature cocked its head slightly, and almost seemed to chuckle. 'You'll forgive me if you're not quite what I was expecting. From all I'd been told, I was expecting someone…larger.'

'I'm not that short,' Harry objected.

The phoenix gazed at him. 'Quite right, you're not. Forgive me if I seem impolite, but I am for the most part unfamiliar with your kind.'

On the other side of the room, Ron was staring at his best friend with a look of stunned incredulity on his face. He leaned closer to Ginny. 'Is Harry having a conversation with that bird?' he asked in a hoarse whisper. All he could hear was the trilling song of the phoenix, but Harry seemed to be answering it when he spoke.

'Seems that way,' Ginny agreed, not looking the least bit bothered. Her last encounter with a phoenix had meant both Harry and herself had survived the Chamber of Secrets, and she was curious to see what would come from this one.

'Ah…' Harry floundered, not entirely sure what he should say. 'Why are you here?'

'I suppose it might be best to explain myself, at that,' the phoenix nodded, a curiously human gesture. 'Some time ago, I was approached by a man who claimed to be the Headmaster of a large Wizarding school. That school was Hogwarts, and the man was –'

'Dumbledore,' Harry finished, a thoughtful frown on his face.

'Quite,' the phoenix agreed. 'To make a long story short, he told me of a prophecy that had to be fulfilled, and of my role within. I was skeptical at first – I had no real reason to trust the word of a human, even one so powerful as Albus Dumbledore. But he eventually convinced me to come to Hogwarts to meet the receptacle of the prophecy – which would be you yourself.'

'But…why?' Harry asked, confused. 'What role are you supposed to play?'

'That I cannot tell you, I'm afraid.' The phoenix cocked its head to the side, studying Harry intently. 'You are fit,' it said finally. 'I agree to the terms your Headmaster offered.'

'Terms?' Harry struggled to keep up with the information the phoenix was giving him. 'What were these terms?'

'Again, you are not permitted to know. What you can know, however, is that you have made a powerful ally today, Mister Potter. You have but to call, and I will come.'

'Call? How do I do that?'

'My name will suffice, Mister Potter. Simply call my name aloud, and I will hear and come to your aid.'

'And your name is…?'

The phoenix seemed almost to smile. 'I am known by many names…but my true name is Hermes.' So saying, there was a flash of bright blue fire – and the phoenix vanished.

Harry stared at the place the phoenix had been sitting, his mind struggling to understand what had just happened. The encounter had lasted only a few minutes, but it had seemed to raise a few thousand questions – which he intended to get answers to.

'Harry?' Hermione asked tentatively after a long silence, snapping the raven haired boy out of his reverie.

'Huh?' He blinked. 'Oh, sorry. Got a bit distracted.'

'We noticed,' Isabelle said dryly. 'So what the heck was all that about, exactly?'

'I'm not sure,' Harry frowned. 'I need to talk to Dumbledore.'

'I'm sure that can wait, Harry dear,' Mrs Weasley said. 'This is supposed to be Christmas! You can speak with the Headmaster later.'

'Yeah, I'm starving!' Ron announced.

'Big surprise,' Fred muttered to his twin. At the same instant, a mass of food appeared on the table, which creaked alarmingly under the sudden weight.

'Christmas breakfast is provided,' the Milton twins said together in a monotone.

Fred and George exchanged a mournful look. 'We're being replaced, Forge,' Fred said, placing one hand over his eyes dramatically.

_A/N: This is the revised version of this chapter, as the previous version was very weak in several places. I'm much happier with this one._

_Review Responses:_

MssrBlaze: _Sirius will make his return next chapter._

doggstarr: _Cheers for the nice comments! __Hopefully this should stave off your withdrawal symptoms. :p_

MarvinIsMyIdol: _If I read the books anymore than I already do, I'd never get ANYTHING done. The problem is, I don't write either Ron or Hermione very well, so out of necessity they take a bit of a backseat. I'm trying to bring them in a bit more, but it's not easy. As to your suggestion…hmm…that could be entertaining…(evil grin)_

potterbrat: _None taken. :)_

tadah: _Why is everyone threatening to kill me for that cliffie? It wasn't even a BIG cliffie! And you're perfectly welcome. :)_

shell: _That's an interesting question – as you know, you can't Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, so I'm assuming they usually go to Hogsmeade to learn. With the threat of a Death Eater attack, I really can't see Dumbledore authorizing that._

Lourdes: _Nope…not abandoned. I'm aiming to have it finished by the time HBP comes out…but I can't see it happening. I figured out the other day I have about 30 more chapters to go…_

charmingly-holly: _(blinks) Ahh…right, where to begin? You're supposed to hate Hayden – that's the entire point I made him. Annoying little shite, isn't he? Just be glad you weren't reading through that particular cliffie – I left everyone hanging so long I had a mob of pitchfork wielding reviewers laying siege to my house. Gods, I love my work…:p As for the cake…I'm quite partial to cheesecake, actually._

Magickk: _Mean evil bugger wagger? You're lucky it's you and not someone else who called me that, sister dearest… ;)_

tabasco: _Heh__…cheers._

Jenni: _It annoys the heck outta me when I read stories with constant spelling mistakes – so I try my best to minimize them in here. Glad you're enjoying it._

Saerry Snape: _That's a bit rich…you can't accuse MY cliffies of being evil. I did read NM almost from the start, remember…some of THOSE drove me nuts waiting for an update, so at least I can return the favour. :p_

Priestess of Dan: _You'd be surprised how often I get that. Still, I suppose it's understandable – the ratio of guys and girls on this site is something like 10:90. Still, I thought the name "James Milamber" gave it away…apparently not._

Iron Spirit: _Thanks, although I can't really take credit for it – it's a modified version of something from one of Jeconais' stories._

dress-without-sleeves: _Nutter._

MsMissProngs: _You're as bad as her! (points upwards)_

Larna Mandrea: _Aww__…come on, admit it, you still love me. :p_


	61. Must Be A Twin Thing

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: For those of you who don't already know, I posted a revised version of chapter 60 the other day. I'd suggest you read it – it's much improved over the previous version, mostly in the conversation between Arthur and Harry, and the very end. Thanks to everyone who gave honest criticisms – you helped make the chapter much better, IMHO._

_Also, I have a new Beta! Since Creative Quill seems to have at least temporarily left the world of fan fiction behind – and I know I, for one, am greatly saddened by one of the finest writers on this site – I have been compelled to find someone new. Three cheers for dress-without-sleeves! Of course, she's just gone away for five weeks with no Internet access…so it's kinda moot for the moment, but still. Of course, the obligatory shameless plug – she's brilliant at everything from the weird and wacky to deeply emotive stuff, although mostly one-shots. Anyway, go read her stuff! I command you! Go, my minions! After you've read this chapter, of course. :)

* * *

_

_Harry wasn't exactly sure when he dropped off to sleep – it seemed to happen in an instant, between one breath and the next. He had a brief flash of pure darkness before he opened his eyes again – only he was no longer sitting in Gryffindor tower with the others._

_It was the same room – the one he had seen months ago, in his dreams at Privet Drive. The distinctly serpentine form of Lord Voldemort sat on his massive granite throne, gazing imperiously at several Death Eaters gathered in the room._

_'We are almost prepared, my Lord,' one of them said smoothly. 'A couple of months to refine and counteract anything the Old Man might come up with, and we shall be ready to begin.'_

_Voldemort smiled humourlessly. 'Excellent. I must applaud your efforts, Williamson. It is nice to finally see some competence among those who serve me.'_

_Several of the other Death Eaters visibly winced as the one called Williamson bowed sinuously. 'I live but to serve you, my Lord.'_

_'I can only hope your loyalty is contagious,' Voldemort stared pointedly at the assembled black-robed men. 'What news on the traitor?'_

_'My Lord,' Harry recognised the silky voice of Snape as he stepped forward and bowed. 'We have made little progress so far, although there are a few leads I am currently investigating.' Harry couldn't help but be amused at the irony of the traitor being appointed head of the inquiry to locate himself._

_Voldemort nodded slowly. 'I have every confidence in your abilities, Severus. Do not disappoint.'_

_The Dark Lord gestured dismissively, and the Death Eaters left the room. 'Make sure Malfoy knows what is required of him,' he said to Williamson, who alone of the group remained in attendance._

_'It will be done, my Lord,' the Death Eater bowed again. 'I shall see to it myself.'

* * *

_

Harry blinked as his eyes snapped open, revealing not a cold room somewhere in Voldemort's lair, but the welcoming red and gold of the Gryffindor common room. It was rather late, and the younger members of the earlier gathering were taking advantage of the fact that the adults had all retired for the night. He was half laying on Ginny, whose fingers were absently stroking his hair as she talked to Charlie. No one seemed to have noticed that he had not been awake.

He debated with himself briefly whether he should say something of his vision, but decided against it. He would speak with Dumbledore first – maybe the Headmaster would have some information about the plan Voldemort was concocting.

'Where's Fred?' Ron asked suddenly, looking up from where he'd been watching Hermione and Isabelle talking quietly.

'He was here a minute ago,' George shrugged.

'For that matter, where's Cassie?' Isabelle narrowed her eyes.

'Dunno,' Alex replied with slightly exaggerated casualness.

'Bollocks,' Isabelle gave a very un-ladylike snort. 'You always know where she is, just as she knows where you are. Now, where are they?'

Alex and George glanced at each other, and both shrugged. 'We have no idea,' they said in unison.

'Do I detect a whiff of collusion?' Percy said with a faint smile.

Just then, the Fat Lady swung outwards, and Fred and Cassie climbed through. As they made their way over to the fire, Harry blinked in surprise.

The fact that they were together was not all _that_ unusual – they could have been out pranking someone. What _was_ unusual, and drew the attention of everyone in the room, was the fact that they were holding hands.

'What?' Cassie asked quizzically as they approached the fire. 'Have we suddenly sprouted another head or something?' She checked herself and Fred over.

'Zaphod Beeblebrox!' Alex said with a grin. Everyone bar Cassie, who instead returned the grin, turned to stare at him with blank incomprehension. 'I really must introduce you lot to the wonders of Douglas Adams,' he said with a sigh. 'So, I take it you found the cupboard handy then?'

'Very,' Fred smirked. It was only then that Harry noticed Cassie's lips were looking rather…swollen. So were Fred's, for that matter. He couldn't quite stop the smile from crossing his face.

Ron was spluttering incoherently. 'What…but…Fred…'

'As verbose as every, Ronnikins,' Fred rolled his eyes.

'Would you mind sharing what you were up to, before Ron has a fit?' Hermione asked pointedly.

Cassie and Fred glanced at each other. 'You know, for a genius, she's remarkably dense sometimes,' Fred said conversationally.

'I've noticed that from time to time,' Cassie agreed.

Alex grinned at the bushy-haired girl. 'If you can't guess what they were doing, then quite obviously dear Ronnikins has been sorely neglecting you.' Both Hermione and Ron turned bright red, and Harry had to fight down another laugh. Beside him, he clearly felt Ginny shaking in silent giggles. Bill and Charlie were grinning openly, and even Percy was smiling.

'I thought you were going out with Angelina!' Ron protested to Fred.

'Just because I was going out with Angelina when I left Hogwarts doesn't mean I was going to marry her, Ron,' Fred said coolly.

'But…' Ron spluttered.

Alex rolled his eyes at the redhead. 'Ron, seriously, do you _want_ to be the target of the next six months of pranking? Shut up while you're still ahead – or _have_ a head.'

'So are you two an item, or what?' Charlie asked, an odd twinkle in his eyes.

'Oh, I think I can put up with him,' Cassie said with exaggerated nonchalance.

'She has her moments,' Fred grinned.

'Isn't she too young for you?' Ron tried another tack. For some reason, he seemed to be rather against the pairing.

Now it was Cassie's turn to roll her eyes. 'Ron, you moron, I'll be seventeen in February. Fred is only nineteen in April, you know. That's less than two years.'

'But you'll be stuck at Hogwarts! How are you even going to see each other?'

'What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?' Isabelle asked, one eyebrow raised. 'Leave them alone, Ron.'

Ron threw his hands up in the air. 'Fine!' He crossed his arms across his chest, muttering to himself under his breath.

'Besides,' Fred said smugly to his younger brother, 'she's a great kisser.'

'Of course I am,' Cassie said loftily. 'I'm a Milton.'

'Does that mean Alex is a great kisser too?' Bill asked, a smirk crossing his features.

'Oh, absolutely,' Isabelle grinned at the eldest Weasley, linking her arm with Alex's possessively.

'Can we _please_ change the subject,' Ron pleaded. Harry looked at him quizzically, wondering what on earth had him so against the match.

'He's afraid they'll start using him for experiments,' Ginny breathed in his ear, seeming once again to read his thoughts. 'He's seen what they're both capable of, and if you put both sets of twins together…' She left it hanging. Harry had to wince.

'Alright, new topic,' Isabelle said as Cassie and Fred sat – the former almost on top of the latter. Fred didn't seem to mind. 'I think it's time for another explanation from Gryffindor's resident super genius. What the bloody hell was with that phoenix?'

Hermione straightened in her chair, and Harry immediately recognised the signs of her "lecture mode". 'According to legend, Hermes was the messenger of the Greek Gods, who were actually very early wizards. Supposedly he was a handsome, athletic man who flew through the air with winged sandals, and carried a herald's staff given to him by Zeus, the leader of the Gods.'

'The story might have been twisted along the way somewhere,' Charlie said. 'I've never seen that sort of Phoenix before, but I've read about them. Unlike normal Phoenixes, like Fawkes, the Royal Phoenix can continue to regenerate itself indefinitely.'

'It's immortal,' Alex translated.

Charlie nodded. 'Supposedly, they were all hunted centuries ago – apparently their feathers made nearly unbreakable quills.'

'This would seem to disprove that theory,' Isabelle said dryly.

'It would make sense for early wizards to use a phoenix as a messenger,' Harry put in thoughtfully. 'They can travel instantaneously to anywhere they want, I've seen Fawkes do it. It would be much quicker than owls, and probably even Apparition.'

Hermione nodded her agreement. 'So, if we're correct, this Phoenix would have to be at least five thousand years old, maybe much more.'

Bill let out a long, low whistle. 'That's an old bird,' he noted. 'I have to admit, I've seen pictures in old tombs in Egypt that might be the same thing. They're always of a blue bird with parchment in its talons, surrounded by fire. I never really took much notice until now.'

'So both the Egyptians and the Greeks used these special phoenixes as messengers,' Harry summed up. 'So why would one appear at Hogwarts now?'

Hermione shook her head. 'I don't know, you should speak with Professor Dumbledore. The phoenix – Hermes – said it was asked to come by him, so he must know. Maybe it has something to do with this second prophecy?'

Harry shrugged non-committedly. He had so far been unable to draw the prophecy out of James, who seemed to be the only one besides Dumbledore who knew it.

'There's one other thing,' Hermione added. 'The herald's staff I mentioned was also called Caduceus. It was a winged rod that was often depicted with two serpents entwining the shaft, representing the primordial elements of order and chaos. Harry, that's what's on your amulet!'

Startled, Harry withdrew the piece in question and studied it. As Hermione had said, the winged rod – Caduceus – formed the centre of the amulet, only it had the basilisk wrapped around the shaft instead of two snakes. The twin emerald eyes of the serpent glinted in the firelight. Yet another question that needed answers.

'You seem to have this thing for attracting weird animals, mate,' Ron grinned, seemingly over his earlier sullenness. 'First the snake, then Padfoot, and now a bloody phoenix!'

'Ron! Don't swear,' Hermione scolded, slapping him lightly on the arm.

'Snake?' Percy asked apprehensively.

Harry nodded at Ginny, who rolled up the sleeve of her left arm to show the small, bright green snake wrapped tightly around her wrist and lower arm. 'I keep forgetting she's there,' she admitted with a small smile.

'She?' Percy's voice shook slightly.

'Her name is Zith,' Ginny extended her arm so her brothers could get a good look. Charlie seemed fascinated, leaning forward to get a closer look, while Bill watched interestedly. Percy pulled back almost unconsciously, staring at the serpent wrapped around his sister's arm with caution clearly written on his face.

'She won't bite, Perce,' Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother.

'How do you know?'

'Because I asked her not to, that's why.'

Silence greeted her remark.

'Oops, did I forget to mention I'm a Parselmouth? How forgetful of me.'

The silence grew almost palpable. Of all her brothers, only Ron was unaffected – he had been around in the weeks where Harry and Ginny had chased off all the students flocking to the Boy-Who-Lived by holding extended conversations in the speech of snakes. He had grown used to it fairly quickly.

'Gin,' Harry said reprovingly, tucking his amulet away. 'Stop teasing your brothers.' Secretly, he was far happier than he let on – the fact that she could joke about her gift was an indication she had come to fully accept it.

Typically, it was Charlie who recovered first. Being around dragons all day tended to remove your fear of anything unusual. 'How long have you been able to speak Parseltongue, Gin-gin?'

'Since about last summer,' Ginny lied easily. She wasn't about to tell them the _real_ source of her so called "gift". 'Dunno where it came from.' Hermione's eyes widened in shock briefly, obviously wondering why she wasn't telling her brothers the truth. She shared a quick glance with Ron, who shrugged almost imperceptibly.

Percy, on the other hand, had an odd look on his face. 'Isn't that about the time you…ahh…got together with Harry?'

Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'And just what are you implying, Percy?' she asked icily. Her tone quite plainly said that she hadn't entirely forgiven her brother, despite the encounter earlier. Ron also glared at his brother.

Percy looked at her helplessly. 'I'm just saying, Gin. Don't you think the timing is a bit peculiar?'

'You don't know all the details, so butt out,' Ron said bluntly. 'If you hadn't been out gallivanting around with the Ministry, you'd probably know.'

'You don't need to rub my face in past mistakes, Ronald,' Percy said stiffly. 'I am fully aware I blundered.'

'Both of you, shut up,' Bill said, wearily pinching the bridge of his nose. 'Ron, stop attacking Percy. Percy, butt out. If Gin says it's fine, it's fine.'

'I never thought to ask, is she poisonous?' Alex asked Harry.

'I have no idea,' Harry admitted. 'I'm not about to have her bite someone so I can find out.'

'_One happens to be quite deadly, Master_,' Zith hissed almost proudly. '_It takes but a minute for my venom to still the heart of my target, be he man or animal._'

'She says she usually kills something in about a minute,' Harry translated.

'That's pretty deadly,' Charlie noted.

Zith raised her head and regarded the red head through dull, serpentine eyes. '_Does this one honestly think one would be sent to be guardian for the Light One if one was not equipped to protect him?_'

'Sent? Sent by who?' Ginny asked curiously.

'_One may not say, mistress_,' Zith shook her head in a peculiar gesture from a snake.

'I hate it when they say that,' Ginny muttered, slumping back into her seat.

Fred and George shared a look, and both turned to Harry. 'Translation?'

'She said she was sent to protect me, but wouldn't say who sent her,' Harry said with a slight frown.

Isabelle scowled. 'More riddles,' she said sourly.

'What, you were expecting them to just come straight out and tell us anything?' Alex snorted. 'That would make things too easy.'

'Well, while this conversation is absolutely fascinating,' Cassie said as she rose to her feet and pulled Fred up after her, 'I have some important business to attend to. Mind if I steal one of your brothers, Gin?'

'Go ahead,' the youngest Weasley smirked. 'Although why you'd settle for one of those prats, I'll never know.'

'Aww, she loves me!' Fred pretended to cry as he was dragged through the portrait hole by his new girlfriend.

'I knew it!' George sobbed, throwing himself across the room and hugging Ginny tightly. Harry had the sense to dive out of the way before he was swept up too. 'Our ickle sister wuves us!'

'George!' Ginny tried to scold her brother, but it was somewhat marred by the fact that she was trying very hard not to laugh. 'Get off me, you great prat! Harry, help me out here!'

'Oh no,' Harry shook his head. 'I'm not getting involved.'

'Traitor,' Ginny pouted as she shoved George away from her.

Bill chuckled as George fell to the floor with a dull thump. 'Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm going to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.'

'We do?' Harry asked curiously.

'Yes. We do,' Bill said firmly. 'Now, everyone off to bed before Mum comes down here and starts yelling.'

That caused a scurry from the Weasley's. Bill, Charlie and George left the common room via the portrait hole, destined for the rooms Dumbledore had set aside for their use. Isabelle and Hermione climbed the stairs to the girls dorms after saying good night to their boyfriends, while Harry, Ginny, Ron and Alex headed up to the boys dorms.

'Nice to be able to do this without an invisibility cloak,' Ginny muttered in Harry's ear as they entered the dorm.

'Just be glad Mum hasn't found out about this,' Ron said sourly. 'She'd have your head, you know. Both of you.'

Ginny waved him off airily. 'Dumbledore told me that he's already told Mum about it. She wasn't happy, but she knows it's necessary.' Her eyes hardened. 'Besides, if she thinks anything is going to stop me, she's sorely mistaken.'

Ron held up his hands in surrender. 'I'm just saying, is all,' he said placatingly.

Alex nodded approvingly. 'Finally, Ron, you're getting the idea.' Ron hurled his pillow across the room at the other boy, who simply laughed and threw it back.

When they were all firmly ensconced in their own beds, and Ginny had drifted off to sleep, Harry lay awake for some time, reflecting over the odd day. He had hardly expected Percy's appearance, or sudden turnaround, even if Charlie and Bill said it had happened some time ago. A small part of him remained suspicious, but Percy had seemed genuine enough. And then, of course, there was the phoenix…and the odd dream vision. He had thought Ginny's presence was supposed to block that link – evidently this was not entirely the case. The one thing that made this one stand out above all the others, though, was there had been no pain involved at all.

Some hours later, he finally drifted off into a restless sleep, his mind whirling with questions – and no answers in sight.

* * *

_A/N: And finally, Cassie is paired up. I hadn't really intended for that to happen, but you've all been quite insistant that she get with someone, so I decided to change things a bit. Gods, can you imagine those two together? For that matter, can you imagine the Weasley and Milton twins working together? Hogwarts doesn'tstand a chance…_

_Review Responses:_

MarvinIsMyIdol: _Twisted ways of my mind? I think I can take that as a compliment…worry not, I'm not abandoning HPMM any time soon. I've put too much work into it to stop now…_

compulsivereader: _Sorry I didn't answer your question before – sometimes I miss things. The elements have nothing to do with the Prophecy – you'll find out more about that in a few chapters. And no, the Milton's are not going to replace Gred and Forge – even they aren't THAT good. Things are about to change very drastically for the Milton family…other than that, I'm not saying a word._

charmingly-holly: _YES! I AM GOD! BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, INSOLANT MORTAL! LOL…seriously though, I can't do the Pegasus thing. I'm not Hercules you know. I'm much more partial to Anubis, actually…_

Monaki-cheung: _The last Defense class was before the tournament – Harry cancelled it. It was in there somewhere. The last 15 chapters or so have been either holidays or the tournament, so no classes – and Dumbledore told Harry a few chapters ago that he'd organized someone else to take the classes while Harry trained._

vampiremusician: _Of course. It's me._

Priestess of Dan: _Of course Percy's comeback was cheesy – PERCY is cheesy._

Jane Average: _Cheers. You're right, it is a lot to keep track of, which is probably why I keep forgetting things._

YelloWitchGrl: _Thank you for your honesty – you inspired the re-write of the last chapter. I hope it's a bit better this time around._

floyddickey: _No, GoF, we can always hope._

Dree: _Why yes, I do – I also remember that I didn't used to have a life. Ahh, good times…_

Ginny2026: _Cheers for sticking with me for so long…even through some rather protracted absences. If you want to re-read, go to my Yahoo! Group (the link is in my Profile) – I'm slowly posting a revised version of HPMM there._

MioNeGr1000: _If you still haven't worked out how to sign up, all you have to do is click the "Register" button near the top of the page. The sign up process is fairly self explanatory, especially since has recently revamped everything. Detailed instructions are provided. Good luck!_

Kordolin: _I was wondering where you'd gotten to…thanks for sticking with me._

Saerry Snape: _I'm glad you approve. I just couldn't let that spell slip by…I've been planning that scene ever since I first mentioned Harry and Niamh's little book…(smirks evilly)_

YouShouldSeeMyOtherPenName: _Thanking you kindly for your wonderful praise. I think creating a set of OC's that actually fit into the HP Universe is my crowning achievement – so many OC's are simply Mary Sue/Gary Stu's or self insertion. That so many people actually like the characters I've created never fails to bring a smile to my face. Cheers!_

Lily the klutz: _Again, sorry about the last chapter…it's been revamped, and hopefully it's now up to scratch._

Larna Mandrea: _I'm getting quicker! Kinda…_

dress-without-sleeves: _Of course it doesn't…McGonagall wasn't around. ;)_

harrypotterfan777777: _Hermes has one, very special task – but you'll have to keep reading to find out._


	62. Dissention

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

_A/N: Apologies for the exceedingly long wait, but I've just moved – AGAIN – and we've only just had Internet installed. On the upside, we're now living on 18 acres of Aussie bushland. Score!

* * *

_

The rest of the holidays went by quickly, once the Weasleys had left, and soon enough the halls were again filled with students. Harry had questioned the Headmaster about his strange encounter Christmas Day, but Dumbledore had simply told him that such an offer was made only once, and he should not abuse it. Hermione had immediately gone into research mode, spending the vast majority of each day poring over musty old tomes in the library, looking for any references to the "Royal Phoenix", as Charlie had called them.

Classes started once again, and Harry was glad for the distraction – there had still been no word of Padfoot, although Dumbledore assured him again that this was a necessary step of his "rehabilitation". Harry just wished he knew what his Godfather was going through – it couldn't have been easy to be returned to life stuck as a dog permanently. He did have to wonder, though, why after almost two whole months of being back, the Headmaster had seen fit to take him away.

The first lesson of the new year was Defense Against the Dark Arts. James entered the classroom looking rather distracted, and something of it lingered about his eyes as he addressed the class.

'Right,' he said in a no-nonsense tone that hushed the near silent room still further. 'The last thing I taught you before the break was how to harness raw magic, even if not many of you could do it right away. I'm assuming you've all been practicing?' There was a chorus of "yes" from the class. 'Right then, today we'll be going more in depth into that, and learning a bit about the origins of such magic. Can anyone besides Hermione tell me where raw magic was first employed in everyday use?'

Hermione blushed slightly as she lowered her hand from where it had been frantically waving in the air. Harry shook his head wryly – some things never change.

'It was originally used by the ancient Greeks,' Blaise Zabini supplied.

James nodded, and Harry's ears perked up. Hadn't Hermione said Hermes was one of the Greek Gods? He sat forward in his seat and paid close attention to what James was saying – he had a feeling he might need the information in the future.

'The original Greek wizards and witches set themselves up as Gods with the use of raw magic,' James explained. 'Back then, magic was much easier to control because there were not as many people around who could tap into it. As I'm sure you all already know, what we call "magic" is just our way of quantifying the elemental forces that govern life itself. Through the use of certain items, and ritual phrases, we can harness this power to do our bidding.'

The confused looks shared by most of the class confirmed that they had not, in fact, been aware of this. James assessed their expressions and shrugged.

'Not important, it might be a bit beyond some of you,' he said dismissively. 'The point is, the less people who actively use magic, the easier it is to control. It's a bit like flying a broom – it's very easy to keep the same course when you're the only one in the sky, but when there are fifty people in the air with you, it can be a lot harder. They interfere with your flight path, get in your way. Magic is the same, which is why in modern times we use wands to help us channel the magic.' He paused. 'Well, most of us, anyway,' he amended.

'Now, to business.' James clapped his hands together sharply, and an illusion appeared in the air in front of him: a large white and red cross. 'The Knights Templar. Who knows anything about them?'

'A group of Christian knights that fought the Saracens during the crusades,' Hermione answered immediately, although she looked slightly puzzled by the abrupt change of topic. 'They were greatly feared for their skill in combat and their dedication to their cause.'

'A text book definition, if you happen to be a Muggle,' James nodded. 'In actual fact, they were a group of wizards who took up the sword to fight in the Holy Wars. It was they who rediscovered the methods the Greeks used to harness raw magic, which accounts for the battle prowess Hermione mentioned. It's very easy to win a lot of fights in a hurry when your sword weighs next to nothing and your armour is completely impervious.' He clapped his hands again sharply, and the cross vanished. 'It is thanks to their efforts that we have the knowledge of raw magic we have today. No one knows exactly where they found that knowledge. Some speculate it was buried in a crypt under Jerusalem, although how on earth it got to Jerusalem from ancient Greece we'll probably never know.'

The remainder of the lesson was spent taking notes on the various uses of raw magic, which also included accidental magic. Harry remembered with a chuckle the boa constrictor he had inadvertently set free at the zoo. He wondered briefly if it had ever made it to Brazil.

'Next lesson we'll start to go over how to actually use this magic to aid your spells,' James told the class as the lesson drew to a close. 'Dismissed. Harry, a word.'

As the rest of the class filed out, Harry made his way to the front of the classroom instead.

'We'll start your training tomorrow night, seven o'clock, right here,' James said without preamble.

'Do I need to bring anything?' Harry asked.

James shook his head. 'Just yourself.'

Harry nodded, and swung his schoolbag onto his shoulder. 'I'll see you tomorrow night then.'

As Harry left the classroom he glanced around, looking for Ron and Hermione. Instead, he found a nervous looking Blaise Zabini leaning against the wall a few feet up the corridor.

'Potter,' Blaise said hesitantly. 'Can I have a word?'

Harry was immediately on his guard – just before the holidays, Blaise had been one of Malfoy's biggest supporters. Apparently things had changed. The Slytherin held himself as if ready to run at an instant's notice, and Harry noticed his hand in his robes where it was quite obviously wrapped around the handle of his wand.

Harry nodded slightly in answer, then followed Blaise as he headed up the corridor to an empty classroom. They both entered, and Harry closed the door and cast a silencing charm over the room. Blaise glanced nervously at the door, then prudently added a locking charm to the door.

'What's all this about, Zabini?' Harry asked coldly.

'Look, Potter, I'll be frank.' Blaise drew in a deep breath, and let it out with a sigh. 'I'm sure you're already aware that my father was a Death Eater.'

Harry blinked. This wasn't exactly what he was expecting. He'd also caught the past tense. 'Was?'

'He was killed over Christmas,' Blaise said shortly. 'Killed by the Dark Lord himself.'

'Why?' Harry watched the Slytherin closely. His expression was bitter, with an intense hatred seething just below the surface.

'The Dark Lord gave my father a mission. My father failed that mission. Failure is not tolerated within the Death Eater circles.' Blaise lowered his gaze to the floor.

'Why are you telling me this?' Harry asked curiously.

'Because, Potter, I want revenge on the bastard that killed my father.' Blaise looked up, and Harry saw the fire burning within his dark eyes. 'This summer, I was supposed to take the Dark Mark myself. There is no way in Hell I'm going to do that now. Way I figure it, you can help me, and I can help you. You want to take the Dark Lord down, and I want to help you do it. No one screws a Zabini and gets away with it.'

'What makes you think I can help you?' Harry asked carefully.

Blaise snorted. 'Don't play dumb with me, Potter. The Dark Lord fears you for some reason. I might not know why, but I do know there's something different about you. Dumbledore wouldn't single you out so much if there wasn't. Now, do you want my help or not?'

Harry didn't answer right away, just studied the Slytherin sitting opposite him intently. Blaise matched his gaze, not actively hostile, but rather fierce and determined.

'Come with me,' Harry said finally, standing and canceling the spells on the room. He left the room and headed down the corridor with Blaise following, towards the Great Hall.

He was in luck – he found the person he was looking for as she was about to enter the Hall for lunch.

'Isabelle,' Harry called, and the girl in question stopped and turned, sighting Harry. Her expression flickered for an instant when she spotted Blaise, but she was Slytherin enough to keep any outward show of surprise to herself. That was exactly why Harry had gone to her – she was still a Slytherin, regardless of everything, and she knew how their minds worked.

'What is it?' she asked.

'We need to talk, privately.'

'Of course,' she nodded. 'Lead the way.'

The three of them made their way up to the seventh floor, to the Room of Requirement. Isabelle kept Blaise back around the corner while Harry went ahead and opened the room. When all three were inside the replica of the Gryffindor common room, Harry had Blaise repeat his story.

Isabelle was frowning by the time her ex-housemate had finished. 'You say your father failed a mission. Can you tell us what that mission was?'

Blaise seemed to fight internally for a few seconds, obvious dislike for Isabelle written on his features. When he answered, it was grudgingly. 'I don't know,' he admitted. 'I only know it had something to do with Gringotts.'

'Makes sense,' Isabelle mused. 'If Voldemort can gain control of Gringotts, he'd control most of the money in the Wizarding world. At that point, I'd imagine most of the official resistance against him would collapse.'

Blaise shrugged. 'I suppose so,' he said indifferently. 'So, Potter, now that your tame little _Slytherin_,' he curled his lip mockingly, 'has given me the once over, are you going to let me help or not?'

'Isabelle?' Harry looked at her inquiringly, ignoring Blaise's tone.

'His story is genuine, as far as it went,' she shrugged. 'It's in keeping with the way Voldemort operates, and my contacts in Slytherin told me this morning that the Zabini name had fallen into disfavour. Whether he can be trusted…' She trailed off and shrugged. 'It's your call, Harry.'

'I knew you were going to say that,' he grumbled. He gazed thoughtfully at Blaise. 'What are you going to do?'

'Get revenge,' Blaise said flatly.

'We gathered that,' Isabelle said patiently. 'How did you intend to do that, exactly?'

'Any way I can.'

'I'm disappointed in you, Zabini,' Isabelle said mockingly. 'A Slytherin with no plan? Shame on you.'

Blaise scowled at her. 'I don't have to put up with your shit, Lestrange,' he said coolly. 'If you want the help of a Slytherin well placed to pass on information, smuggle materials into the castle, or out if you need it, then you can have it. If not, then stop wasting my time.'

Isabelle smirked. 'Firstly, _Zabini,_ remember that _you_ came to _us_. Secondly, we can already do all of those things, and far more reliably than you can. Now, do you have anything of value to add, or shall we leave?'

'Isabelle,' Harry said reprovingly. 'He wants to help, that's all.'

'Sure he does,' she muttered, but fell silent.

'Look, Blaise,' Harry started. 'It's not like I wouldn't appreciate any help I can get, but there are risks. For one, it was hard enough for the other Gryffindors to accept Isabelle, never mind someone who has openly associated with Malfoy for years. Ron especially wouldn't be happy. We'd have to keep any agreement a complete secret.'

'Am I supposed to care what Weasel thinks?' Blaise sneered.

Harry scowled at the Slytherin boy. 'That's exactly what I mean. Sorry, Blaise, but my answer is no. I'm not going to risk everything on the chance you might actually hold to your word.'

'Fine,' Blaise said shortly, standing and walking swiftly for the door. A second later, and he was gone.

Harry and Isabelle shared a glance, and the latter smiled wryly.

'That went well,' she said.

'I dunno,' Harry sighed, standing and beginning to pace. 'Did something about him seem off, or is it just me?' When Isabelle nodded to confirm, he went on. 'I believe his story about his father, but I don't think that's why he came to me.'

'Perhaps he's trying to prove he's worthier than his father by infiltrating the Order when everyone else has failed?' Isabelle hazarded a guess.

'Could be,' Harry granted. 'I think you'd better keep an eye on him.' He hesitated a moment. Something was telling him to tell her about the vision he'd had over the holidays. He'd only told Dumbledore so far, and the Headmaster had asked him to keep it to himself. He had a distinct feeling that it was relevant to Blaise's sudden "reversal".

'Have you ever heard of a Death Eater called "Williamson"?' he asked.

Isabelle brow creased into a frown. 'It rings a bell,' she admitted. 'I can't quite place the name, though. Seems to me I heard Malfoy talking about someone with that name once. He was bragging, as I recall.'

'When is he not,' Harry said dryly.

Isabelle flashed him a grin. 'I think he was one of the Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban with the Imperious plea,' she said thoughtfully. 'Why do you ask?'

'Oh, no reason,' Harry said with slightly exaggerated casualness. 'Come on, we'd better get to the Great Hall if we want anything to eat.'

'Harry James Potter,' Isabelle said flatly, standing and placing both hands on her hips. 'I am far from stupid, you know. What aren't you telling me?'

Harry winced – he should have known it was silly to try to hide anything from her, of all people. 'I had a vision over the holidays. I saw Voldemort talking to a Death Eater called "Williamson", saying something about him being competent.'

'And Dumbledore told you to keep it quiet,' Isabelle said flatly. At his reluctant nod, she threw her hands up in the air. 'More bloody secrets! For the love of God, does it ever end?'

'They were talking about being almost prepared for something,' Harry added, 'and that they needed more time to make sure Dumbledore couldn't interfere. I don't think Dumbledore wanted it made public that he knew about it, so they don't take even more precautions or something.'

'Which is fair enough, but how in Merlin's bloody name are we supposed to be ready for whatever it is if he sits on the warning?' Isabelle answered crossly.

Harry held up his hands to pacify the irate ex-Slytherin. 'Don't ask me, it was Dumbledore's idea,' he said hastily.

'Harry? Harry, are you in there? Oh, hi Isabelle.'

Ginny stopped abruptly as she noticed the expression on the dark haired girl's face. 'What's Alex done now?'

Isabelle gave her a startled look and then laughed. 'Nothing I'm aware of,' she said with a smile.

'In that case, he's waiting in the Great Hall for you.'

'I'd better go down, then.' She nodded at Harry, and quickly left the room.

'What was that all about?' Ginny asked Harry, worming her way into his arms.

'Nothing important,' Harry shook his head. 'Just…something.'

Ginny gazed at him levelly. 'That is a singularly unenlightening response, Mister Potter,' she said flatly.

'Just a little problem with a Slytherin,' Harry said carefully. 'Nothing Isabelle can't handle.'

Ginny raised an eyebrow skeptically, obviously not believing him, but she let it slide. 'In that case, are you coming down to lunch or not? If we hurry, we can still get something to eat.'

'You haven't eaten?' he asked as they left the Room of Requirement.

Ginny shook her head. 'Snape made me stay behind and clean up in Potions,' she said with distaste.

'Sounds like fun,' Harry deadpanned.

'Not really,' she laughed softly. She frowned slightly as they made their way down one of the moving staircases to the lower floors. 'He was acting a bit odd, though. He kept looking at me weirdly, like he wanted to say something but couldn't.'

'Probably trying to figure out the best way to insult you,' Harry snorted.

'Maybe,' Ginny's expression turned thoughtful. 'I did hear him muttering about Professor Milton – James – at one stage. Maybe he said something to Snape?'

'We could ask him, I suppose,' Harry shrugged, not really all that interested in Snape's odd behaviour. As far as he was concerned, the dour Potions Master could go jump off a bridge.

* * *

That afternoon was the first Advanced Defense class for the new year. Dumbledore had still not told Harry who would be taking the classes in his stead, and so it was with as much anticipation as the rest of the students that he headed for the classroom right after lunch. A space had been left clear right up the front of the room for Harry and his friends, and they sank down to sit on some of the numerous bean bags that had mysteriously appeared all over the room.

By the time the class was due to start, fully two thirds of the upper years of Hogwarts students were present. There was even a fair smattering of Slytherins in the group. Blaise Zabini sat staring stonily ahead, completely ignoring Harry – although no one noticed anything odd, as indeed there was nothing odd about this at all.

Finally, a door on one side of the front of the classroom opened and the new teacher strode in, a wide smile on his slightly worn features. Harry stared at him for a long moment, and then a massive grin formed on his face.

'Professor Lupin!' Hermione gasped.

'In the flesh,' Lupin chuckled, obviously amused at the various reactions. Most of the room was staring at him with shocked expressions. 'Now, let's clear a few things up right now. Yes, I am a werewolf. Professor Dumbledore has invited me here to teach you extra curricular defense material, which makes this class completely voluntary. Anyone who is uncomfortable being taught by me should leave now.'

Near the back of the room, Malfoy stood immediately and headed for the exit.

'Ah, Mister Malfoy. I am sorry to inform you that Prefects are still required to attend these classes,' Lupin said pleasantly, stopping the platinum-haired Slytherin in his tracks. With a sharp glare, Malfoy stalked back to his seat.

'No one else would like to leave?' Lupin asked mildly.

No one moved.

'Excellent! In that case, we'll start by going over some of last year's curriculum, just to be safe. Harry, could I have a hand please?'

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Isabelle, Alex and Cassie stood and began to help Lupin divide the students into their year groups. By the end of the lesson, using a combination of practical testing and Harry and his friend's foreknowledge of the students, he had separated them not by year level, but by ability. The weaker and newer students were on the left side of the room, gradually getting stronger and more skillful as they moved along to the right.

'Now, I'd like you all to remember what group you are in,' Lupin instructed as the class was coming to a close. 'You will practice with the students in your group, and I would like to see you all putting in some effort out of class. The more practice you get, the more likely you are to be able to protect yourself. Dismissed.'

As the majority of the students left the room, Harry stayed behind. His friends stood by the door, making sure all the students left, and then quietly exited. Ginny was last, throwing an indecipherable look Harry's way. When the door finally closed, Harry enveloped the last Marauder in a hug.

'It's good to see you, Professor Lupin,' he said finally, pulling away from the bemused older man.

'Please, Harry, I have a name. When we're in private, I'd like you to use it.'

'But calling you "Remus" sounds…odd, for some reason,' Harry winced.

'Moony, then,' Lupin offered, indicating that they should head for the Great Hall with a motion of his hand.

'Better,' Harry smiled, holding the door open then closing it after himself and Lupin.

'I must say, it's good to be back at Hogwarts,' Lupin glanced around the corridor fondly, obviously reminiscing. 'I never did feel at home anywhere else.'

'I know what you mean,' Harry said softly. Lupin glanced at him sharply, but stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. 'I suppose I have the Weasley's, but even so…' he left it hanging.

Lupin didn't say anything for a long while, but he did wrap his arm about Harry's shoulders in a fatherly fashion. When he finally did speak, his voice was even quieter than usual. 'Harry, I know I can never replace your father or Sirius, and I certainly have no desire to. What I can do, however, is be here for you now.' He sighed heavily, and Harry felt his arm tense about his shoulders. 'I reacted badly to Sirius' death,' Lupin continued after a moment, as they turned a corner and headed down a flight of stairs. By now they were walking very slowly, and Lupin was gazing off into the middle distance. 'I wasn't there for you, and I'm sorry. I'd like to make that up to you now, if I can.'

Harry said nothing. He didn't really feel the need. Lupin was in the castle, obviously at least partially recovered from the loss of Sirius; he was back on reasonably good terms with Dumbledore, James was helping him develop the skills he would need to defeat Voldemort once and for all, Sirius was back, although he was still missing for the moment, and of course there was Ginny. Somehow, everything seemed right again.

* * *

_A/N: And that's quite enough of that. For those of you who are interested, I've begun re-posting an edited version of HPMM in my Yahoo! Group._

_Review Responses:_

dress-without-sleeves: _Nutter._

MsMissProngs: _Maybe if you'd say something worthwhile, I'd reply to it:p_

Larna Mandrea: _One does one's best._

araya: _Sure, you can do that._

Life Love Sanity: _I planned to be finished before HBP – and then life intervened. –death glares life- So, it'll be awhile yet. I'm hoping to have the story complete in the next couple of months. Swimming…bleh._

Whispyraven: _Actually, my knowledge of Hermes is completely off the top of my head…scary, eh? As to James and Snape, you're reading into it too much again – there's nothing there but mutual dislike, which is beginning to turn into grudging respect. You'll see. RE: H/G…you'll see. Harry's a bit thick, he'll get the idea eventually._

Junky: _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them says that "a Phoenix can live to a great age". They're not immortal. As to the rest of your questions, all will be answered…eventually._

lexa: _Things are about to take a distinct turn for the worse in the world of HPMM…but I'm not giving it away quite yet._

lalaluu: _I'm rather proud of that line, actually. Cass and Fred might not last very long, and not for the reason you might think._

Laurie: _Lol__…put the pitchfork down, it's not necessary! –nervous grin- Glad to have you aboard!_

Lourdes: _As if anything is ever that easy for Harry…_

Finbar: _Living up to your name, I see._

Kordolin: _Lol__…probably a good idea, mate._

nebulia: _But of course…Douglas Adams rocks._


	63. Author's Note

Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

Well, this is it. To tell you the truth, I've been heading in this direction for a while now, I just didn't realise it. I think it was the warning about no more author responses to reviews that did it. has finally pissed me off to the point where I'm not all that keen on posting here anymore. As such, HPMM, as far as is concerned, is officially discontinued.

HOWEVER, I'm not abandoning the world of fanfiction altogether, oh no. while no longer holds the slightest appeal for me, I've found a new site - Wizard Tales. HPMM WILL be finished, but new chapters will be posted exclusively there - as is a completely re-written version. Subsequent fics will also be posted exclusively at WT.

Until the next time we meet, I bid thee all a fond farewell. Thank you all for making the writing of HPMM so pleasant for me, and for your wonderful praise and feedback. I really am sorry it had to end this way, but…such is life.

I hope to see you all at WT!

James Milamber

_Ravenclaw Pride_

www. wizardtales. net


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